Mother
by lone-star-woman
Summary: Rory meets Owen's mum which leads to Jack meeting Ianto's mum. None of it goes as planned as the team discovers some surprises in Ianto's genealogy.
1. Chapter 1

_This is for __**TheRavenclawNinja**_ _who wanted me to write the meeting between Rory and Owen's mum._

_From what Owen said about her in "Adam" and from the deleted scene from that same episode, his relationship seemed frosty to put it mildly. _

* * *

**MOTHER**

Rory hobbles as quickly as she can from the kitchen to the front door as Jack and Ianto hang their coats in the closet. The layers upon layers of lavender tulle and organza fabric in her Fifties style skirt bounce as she races across the room to greet the men.

"Hey you," Ianto calls out.

"Choos or Blahniks?" Rory asks anxiously.

"Pardon?" Jack says.

Ianto looks down at her shoes and answers, "The one on the right foot."

"Choos it is," Rory says.

"How did you know what Rory was talking about?"

"Lots of episodes of 'Sex And The City,'" Ianto replies with a straight face.

"I have to go find my other shoe. Ianto, could you keep an eye on the food?" Rory asks.

"Of course."

"Why doesn't she ask me?" Jack protests.

"Remember the time you tried to cook for us?" Ianto replies. "When they make blackened fish in Louisiana, I'm fairly certain that they don't actually burn it."

"You don't know that," Jack says confidently.

"Well, I'm no expert, but I did read the recipe."

When the men walk into the kitchen, Jack smiles in delight, "Ahh, nibbles! I love nibbles."

Ianto picks up a wooden spoon and taps him lightly and playfully across the knuckles just before he takes an appetizer. "Those are for the guest of honor."

Jack sheepishly pulls his hand back and steps away from the food. He sits down on a stool and watches Ianto as he checks on the food. "So do you think they're serious?"

"I think they are very fond of each other, and this shows that Owen thinks highly of her."

"They haven't known each other for that long."

"I don't think we're going to hear wedding bells any time soon. I think she's just curious about him. After all, he knows about her family."

"If I tell you something, promise not to laugh…" Jack says.

"You have my word."

"I'm just as nervous to meet Owen's mum as Rory is," Jack admits. "I'm glad that you're here with me."

"I'm glad you asked," Ianto says. He kisses the Captain's lips very lightly.

"I'm just sorry that I never got to meet your father," Jack says. "From the way you speak about him, the two of you must have been very close."

"We were. I am the well-dressed gentleman you see standing before you because of him."

"You forgot handsome. You got your good looks from him as well."

"I'm sorry that you didn't get to meet him too. He would have liked you," Ianto says wistfully.

"Even though I'm a man?"

"Well, he might have needed some time to get used to that part, but he always told me that my happiness was the most important thing to him." Ianto's eyes tear up a little. "It's been ten years since he's passed, but every now and then…"

Jack wraps his arms around Ianto's neck. "He would have been so proud of you."

"Thank you."

"What about your mum? You know, you never really talk about her. Does she still live in Cardiff?"

Ianto pulls away from Jack and begins to tidy up in the kitchen. Jack stops him and asks, "What's wrong?"

"It's just that it's been ages since I've seen her. We sort of... drifted," Ianto mumbles.

"What happened?"

"Maybe I shouldn't get into that right now. This is Rory's evening, and I don't want to ruin it for either of you."

"But we will talk later, right?"

"Yes." Ianto says without meeting Jack's eyes.

Just to lighten the mood, the Captain steals a bit of food right from under the Welshman's nose. Ianto rolls his eyes and chuckles.

xxxx

With a deep sigh, Owen reluctantly enters his mother's hotel room. The woman had been there for less than two hours and already she's leaving her mark. The television set is turned on loudly to some weepy movie that she isn't even watching. Her clothes are scattered everywhere, and he shudders to think about the mess in the bathroom. He quietly picks up an empty gin bottle from the mini-bar and deposits it in the bin.

He watches her slip on a jacket that could use a bit of tailoring to fit her tall, thin frame. She checks her hair that is dyed black to cover up her gray. The color only makes her already pale skin look ghostly - a far cry from his girlfriend's sun-kissed complexion. Despite the make-up she uses to make her face look its best, it cannot hide the lines on her face that make her look tired and much older than her actual age.

"Well, what do you think?" she asks.

"You look nice, Mother. Very smart." He checks his watch and becomes slightly anxious.

"Now, if I could just find my earrings…"

Owen finds a pair of earrings on the nightstand, "Here they are."

His mother glances at them and shakes her head. "Not those. You men never know what goes with what." She finally finds them in the bottom of her make-up bag. "Here they are."

"We should have been on our way by now. We're gonna be late."

"You don't have to shout, son."

"I'm not shouting," Owen says, trying not to lose his patience. "Rory has put in a lot of work in preparing this meal for you. I like this woman, Mother. I like her a lot, and I want this evening to be perfect for her."

"And you don't want me to do anything to embarrass you?"

"I didn't say that."

"I wonder how she puts up with your temper, Owen. Honestly when I think of the times your teachers rang me to tell me all about your little outbursts during class, or the times I was called into the headmaster's office because of the fights you got into."

"Do we have to get into this now?"

"Did you tell her that I kicked you out of the house because I found drugs in your room? Does she know that you used to get high?"

"It was one joint, Mother, and that was ages ago."

"I just want to remind you that you're not so perfect yourself," she says casually. "There are a lots of things about you that are embarrassing."

Owen bites his lip, closes his eyes, and counts to ten. He opens his eyes again and asks in a very calm voice, "Are you done?"

"I was ready before you started to give me that lecture on my behavior."

"All right, then," Owen mutters as he escorts her out the door.

xxxx

Owen doesn't say another word until Rory opens her front door. He sweeps her into his arms and inhales the scent from the violets in her hair. Some of the tension begins to melt away. "Hello, gorgeous," he whispers into her ear before kissing her lips.

"Hello," Rory replies with a giddy smile.

Jack clears his throat, and Owen reluctantly steps away from his girlfriend. "Rory I'd like you to meet my mother, Victoria Harper. Mum, this is Dr. Aurora Templeton."

"Hello, Mrs. Harper," Rory says, shaking her hand politely. "I am very pleased to meet you."

"Oh, she looks just like a little faerie, doesn't she? All you need is a wand and a pair of wings, Miss Templeton," she exclaims.

Owen swiftly corrects her. "It's Dr. Templeton."

"Call me Rory."

"Rory? That's a boy's name, innit?" Victoria says.

"I started calling her that when she was a baby. Her father liked it, and it sort of stuck," Jack says.

Mrs. Harpers eyes grow wide as she stands in front of the immortal man. "Well, hello."

"Captain Jack Harkness," he says with a winning smile.

"Oh my. You can call me Vickie," she responds. "How do you know Miss Templeton?"

"I'm an old family friend. I worked for her adoptive father, and I also knew her birth parents."

"You must have been very young," Mrs. Harper says, pinching his cheek.

"Well, you're as young as you feel," Jack replies.

"Oh, is that right?" Vickie laughs, flirtatiously.

Owen rolls his eyes. "Mum, this is Ianto Jones, Jack's boyfriend."

"Oh, it just figures."

The Welshman bows formally. "Pleased to meet you."

Vickie replies. "You are pretty thing, aren't you?"

"Why don't we eat?" Rory suggests. "Owen, could you get her coat, please?"

"Right this way, Mrs. Harper." Jack says as she places her hand on his arm. Ianto follows them into the dining room.

Owen takes Rory's hand and whispers in her ear. "We could be in a hotel in Paris right now having a very dirty, absolutely filthy weekend."

She looks up into his eyes. "But instead, I am meeting the woman who brought you into this world."

"If she starts to get rude, I give you my full permission to kick her to the curb."

"Golly! What generosity," Rory teases. "Come on, handsome. Let me dazzle you with my culinary skills."

Owen traces her lips with his thumb and murmurs, "You know I love your cooking, but I can think of something else I'd rather eat right now."

"Tempting, but I should get back to my guests."

She tries to walk away, but Owen doesn't let her go so easily. He pulls her back into his arms and steals a quick kiss. He wants to sling her over his shoulder and take her as far away from his mother as possible. However, Rory would never consent, and he's also left Vickie with his boss and a bottle of chilled chardonnay.

When they enter the dining room, Ianto has begun serving the appetizers much to Rory's chagrin.

"You are not serving in my house," she tells him firmly.

"Bossy little thing, isn't she?" Mrs. Harper comments. "She'd have to be to keep my Owen in line."

Sensing Owen' discomfort, Ianto quickly changes the subject. "You know, Rory is working on a new project right now."

"Is that so?" Vickie asks before taking another long sip of her wine.

"Tell her about the robot arm," Jack says beaming.

"It's not really my project," Rory insists.

Jack tells Mrs. Harper about it anyway. "She's now consulting her old professors on a robotic arm that can be controlled by a monkey's thoughts, which could eventually mean a better prosthetic for people with missing limbs. They want her to redesign the transducer for the brain machine interface -"

"Goodness! Slow down. What's a trans-thingamagig?" Vickie asks.

"A device that converts one form of energy into another," Owen replies. "In this case, she's converting the nerve impulses sent by the brain into the electrical signals that control the robot."

"Since when do you know what all that means?" Mrs. Harper asks her son teasingly.

"The man's got a beautiful mind," Rory replies applying the same tone another woman would use to describe a man's rippling biceps or dreamy eyes.

"Does he now?" Vickie replies with some skepticism.

"He's a wonderful doctor," Jack says. "Very focused under pressure, persistent, creative, improvises well."

"And he's very skilled in chemistry, genetics, botany, and forensic anthropology," Ianto adds.

Rory leans on Owen's arm as she speaks. "He is also a quick study of other sciences such as physics and astronomy. He's quite brilliant."

Owen cannot remember the last time he felt so appreciated for his talents. "Thank you," he tells his friends.

Rory, Jack and Ianto wait for Mrs. Harper to gush with pride over her son's accomplishments. Instead, she pours herself another glass of chardonnay and replies, "Well, I reckon some of his teachers never would have guessed."

"Oh, I don't know," Jack says. "Owen was always one of the top students in his class."

"He was also on the headmaster's most wanted list," Vickie says with a hearty laugh.

Owen throws his napkin on the table in disgust. "I'll go get the entrée."

"I'll help," Rory says.

"No, let me," Jack tells her. He gives her shoulder very light and reassuring squeeze.

Rory sits down and looks over at Ianto who smiles at her.

xxxx

"Just once," Owen says when Jack joins him in the kitchen. "Just once I'd like her to say she's proud of me. I've got a good life, don't I? I've got a job where I can truly make a difference, a nice flat, a nice car."

"Good friends who care about you and a great girl who loves you to bits," Jack adds.

"And none of it seems to matter to her at all. When I finally became a doctor, I didn't expect a party or anything like that. I just wanted a simple 'god job, son.' Well, to be fair, she said that all right, but she didn't have to add, 'I guess this means you think you're better than all of us.'"

"I always thought that being brilliant meant that you are better than everyone else," Jack responds. "That's why I picked you as part of my team."

"I shouldn't have brought her here. That woman is cruel and cold."

"But you still love her…"

"Why is that?"

"Because she's your mum. It's instinct," Jack replies.

Ianto knocks on the door before entering. "What is taking you so long?"

When they go back into the dining room, Vickie and Rory are discussing a picture on her wall. "Well, I know nothing about art," she says. "I just think it's an unusual painting to have in the dining room."

"It's not about art. It's just funny."

"What are you two going on about?" Owen asks.

Vickie points up the an oil portrait of Ralph Wiggum from "The Simpsons" that hangs in the dining room.

Jack reads the plaque at the bottom of the frame that has one of the quotes from the show_, "Your toys are fun to play with. Mine are all sticky_." Even he's a bit puzzled by it.

"I just meant that Rory designs cool robots for a living, and I crack open chests…" Owen mutters.

"Owen gave that to me," Rory explains. "He knew that Ralph is my favorite character, and I love it. I think it's sweet and romantic."

Vickie coughs loudly as she almost chokes on her wine. "Romantic?"

"Everyone's idea of romance is different," Ianto comments. "It all boils down to knowing what will make the other person happy."

"Well, that is beyond me!" Vickie exclaims.

Rory begins serving the meal, and Jack leans into his plate appreciatively. "This smells wonderful."

"What is it?" Vickie asks.

"Chicken molé. It's chicken with a sauce made from dried chilies, sesame, chocolate -"

"Chocolate? Really?" she picks at her food suspiciously. "I suppose you never do a simple beans on toast."

"Come to think of it," Jack says. "I don't think she does."

"This actually became one of my favorite dishes when I was living in Pasedena."

"I suppose you travel a lot?"

"I've done my fair share."

"Never really got the chance once this one was born," Vickie says pointing to her son. "Once you have children, everything changes, and you are no longer living for yourself. You find yourself giving up your dreams. I was just seventeen when I had Owen. Where were you at seventeen, young lady?"

"I was working in my uncle's engineering firm, waiting to turn eighteen so I could study in America," she replies softly.

"So young and with the world at your feet," Vickie replies. "I sometimes wonder how things would have been different if…"

"What, Mother?"

"You know men can just pick up and leave if they are unhappy with a situation. Never mind the wife and children. Mr. Harper left when Owen was just five. Raised him and his brother on my own and never anything in the way of child support."

"I can't imagine having to do something like that," Rory says sympathetically. "But Owen has become a good man."

"Of course you can't imagine a thing like that," Vickie mutters. "Is there more wine?"

"I think we've all had enough," Jack responds.

"I did the best that I could with you, Owen. I made sacrifices for you. I loved you," Vickie says quietly, but the others can hear her anger rising in her voice.

_But you didn't have to like me_, Owen thinks to himself. He says aloud, "I know."

"If you'll excuse me, I'd like to use the ladies' room," Vickie mutters.

"If you just go out into that hallway, it's the door to your right," Rory says.

Mrs. Harper stumbles out of her chair. Ianto quickly stands up to help her because he can't think of anything else to do other than be polite.

"I am so sorry," Owen says to his girlfriend.

"It's not your fault," she replies lovingly. "You tried to warn me."

"It could have been worse," Jack comments.

"How?" Owen asks with a scowl on his face.

"I was at this dinner party where Salvador Dali farted in his wife's face just before the third course."

"You and your stories," Owen retorts.

"I don't know," Ianto says. "I've read Dali's biography, and he was quite the character. This one might be true."

"I gave him the idea about the melting clocks that evening," Jack brags.

"You did not!" Rory exclaims.

Jack and Rory begin to laugh if only to break the tension. They are joined by Ianto, and eventually Owen.

"I should check up on her," Owen says. He gets up from his chair and kisses the top of Rory's head. He mumbles another apology to Jack and Ianto before he leaves.

xxxx

Owen enters the hallway and finds the bathroom door open, but Vickie is nowhere to be seen. He checks the security system and finds a heat reading in one of the rooms upstairs.

Vickie stands in a small room reserved especially for Rory's clothes. Although the organization of the room is still a work in progress, Vickie still manages to find a suit that looks almost exactly like the one she's wearing.

She glances at Owen when he walks inside, "She has a room just for her clothes."

"There was a small pest problem in the closet of her bedroom," he replies.

"And this is a real Chanel suit."

"It belonged to Imogene, her adopted mother. Rory never wears it, but she likes to keep it for sentimental reasons." Owen tries to pull his mother out of the room. "Come on. You're not supposed to be up here."

"I don't normally drink as much as I did this evening."

"Well, you really put away the sauce tonight, Mother. I told you that I wanted this to be perfect for her. All she asked for was a civil meal so she could meet you."

"I was nervous. That's why I drank. At least Katie was a simple girl who came from an ordinary family. There's nothing simple or ordinary about this one, Owen."

"I know, Mum. That's why I like her. But there is something she has in common with Katie. She treats me like I'm special. She never treats me like I'm some sort of fuck-up. And don't talk about Katie. You barely knew her."

"I barely know you," Vickie confesses.

"And whose fault is that, Mother?" Owen hisses, trying to contain his rage. "Let's just go."

He leads his mother downstairs and sits her on the couch like a misbehaving child. "Stay there," he tells her.

He re-enters the dining room where Jack and Ianto have decided to eat anyway.

"Is everything all right?" Rory asks.

"I reckon I should get my mother back to the hotel," Owen says.

Ianto wipes his mouth with his napkin and stands up, "I'll put her in the car whilst you and Rory have a proper good-bye."

"I'll help," Jack offers.

"Thank you, men," Rory says.

"Yeah, cheers," Owen says, handing Jack his keys.

Jack pats Owen on the back before leaving the room with Ianto. Rory smiles at him affectionately. Owen wants to apologize once again. He wants to compliment her on the meal. He wants to tell her that she looks beautiful with the flowers in her hair and in that dress. He can't. All he can do is hold onto her.

She doesn't speak either. She just stands on her tiptoes and gives him a kiss on the cheek, but her smile tells him that nothing has changed between them, that she cares about him, that there is nothing that he has to apologize for.

Owen kisses her once more before he leaves the room. Rory stays behind in the dining room and finishes her meal.

xxxx

Jack and Ianto leave shortly after Owen does, but not before Rory packs up some left-overs for them along with half of the cake that she had intended to serve as dessert.

"We can handle all sorts of hostile aliens, but when we're faced with someone's drunken mother, we're useless. Now that's pretty sad," Jack says on the drive back to the hub.

Ianto doesn't say a word. He just looks out the window.

"It's still early. We could drop off the food, and go see a movie or maybe just take a walk around the bay," Jack suggests.

"She's in a mental hospital," Ianto confesses. "That's why I don't see my mother anymore."

* * *

A/N: I can't take credit for the robotic arm idea. I actually read about it in _The New York Times_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

Once Jack has recovered his wits, he drives carefully back to the hub. He has no reply to what Ianto told him because of his shock, and the younger man isn't offering any further elaboration. Perhaps he's just waiting to get back into the safety of the hub.

As soon as the cog door rolls shut, Ianto says, "I should feed -"

"No," Jack insists. "Absolutely not. You just told me that your mother is in a mental hospital without any further explanation. Myfanwy can wait. This is more important."

"I don't know what came over me. I just blurted it out."

Jack strains to find the right words that won't make him sound demanding and that will show Ianto that he cares. "I… I just want you to trust me enough to tell me what happened. Seeing Owen and his mother tonight stirred up some memories, and I know how you hold things inside. If I can do anything for you, even if it's just listening… Ianto, I want you to know that you can talk to me."

Ianto responds in a calm and methodical fashion. "If you will allow me to place these containers in the refrigerator, I'll tell you what you want to know."

Jack nods and allows Ianto to go into the kitchen. While he waits, he paces around the hub, trying to figure out how the best way to be supportive. Since he first ran a background check on Ianto, he believed that his mother lived with relatives, but now he believes that the Welshman tampered with his own files. Ianto is, after all, the master of covering up reality.

Ianto quietly re-enters the main room of the hub with a pained expression on his face that makes Jack reach out for him and hold him closely. When he finally lets go, they sit on the couch next to Tosh's desk.

"You would have liked her, Jack," Ianto says. "She was graceful, beautiful, kind. She never forgot birthdays. She made sure all of our holidays were memorable even if we never got out of Wales and spent them in a cramped caravan. You see, that's how I want to remember her - how my father wanted me to remember Lillian Jones."

"What happened to her?" Jack asks as he tenderly strokes his hair.

"I was nine years old - old enough to know what was going on, but not old enough to fully understand. My aunt, my mother's sister who lived in Manchester at the time, just gave birth to her first child. My mum went by herself since I had school and my father had the shop to look after.

"On the day, she was supposed to come back, we got a call from the hospital saying that she was in an accident. She lost control of the car and crashed into a lorry. The other driver had a few injuries, but my mother was not so lucky. She didn't wake up for two weeks. My father was so relieved when she finally opened her eyes. He truly believed at that moment that everything would be okay, that all my mother needed was time to heal from her injuries, that she was strong enough to make it through. The doctors tried to warn him not to have too much hope - that he should expect some long-lasting effects from her injuries. But my father had to believe that it would be all right in the end."

Ianto stops telling his story and begins to cry. Jack puts his arm around his young lover and draws him nearer to him. "You don't have to continue," Jack tells him.

The Welshman composes himself and goes on anyway. "My father brought her home, hoping that the familiar setting would help her heal. Sometimes, head injuries can result in dramatic shifts in someone's personality. That's what the doctors tried to warn us about. First, she didn't recognize us right away. Then, she couldn't remember the names of certain objects any five year-old could identify. Soon after she started having these fits where she couldn't stop herself from yelling and shaking. One day, my father leaned over to kiss her, and she attacked him and tried to claw out his eyes. After that my father had to choose. It was either her or me. I wasn't safe as long as my mother remained in the house so he chose to send her to Providence Park Psychiatric Hospital where they had a staff that could help her."

Jack lifts up Ianto's chin and tells him, "He did what he thought best."

"After that, my father tried to compensate for the loss of my mother. There were extra trips to the cinema because it was the only place where the two of us could forget the rest of the world. He introduced me to Ray Harryhausen pictures - you know,_Jason and the Argonauts_, _Clash of the Titans_, all of these movies featuring brave men fighting unbelievable creatures. I kept imagining that I was one of them."

"You are one of them now," Jack says with an encouraging smile.

"He tried so hard to be both mother and father, to make me happy, to visit my mother and to try to remind her of who she was. It was just too much for him. To see him age so fast in the following years… After he died, my mother got worse. The staff at Providence Park moved her to a more secure part of facility. After he died, I got worse, too. I completely lost interest in school, ran with the wrong crowd, did things that I'm not proud of. I also stopped seeing her because she no longer recognized me. I wonder if my face has changed so much or if her illness clouded her mind."

Jack kneels in front of his lover and holds both of his hands. "What do you say I make you a cup of tea? Or how about a massage?"

Ianto gently touches the older man's face. "That's not necessary, Jack. I need something to do. I need to feed Myfanwy tonight, check up on the Weevils, look over the monitors. I just need my routine right now - something normal, something that makes me feel useful."

Jack nods and kisses Ianto gently. "I love you," he says.

"I love you, too, Jack."

The Captain watches the younger man take a deep breath, adjust his tie, and smooth out his hair in a choreographed routine to push his emotions out of the forefront of his mind. Of course, Jack understands why Ianto will invent a few extra chores around the hub. When he's tired, he doesn't dream. Jack will give him an hour, maybe a bit longer, before he pulls his boyfriend into their bedroom and wraps his arms around him until he sleeps.

xxxx

Owen is just about to leave the lobby of the hotel when his mobile rings. He smiles and answers it immediately. "Hello, gorgeous."

"Hello, handsome," Rory replies. "How's your mum?"

"I managed to get a couple of aspirin in her before she fell asleep."

"How are you?"

"So much better for hearing your voice."

"Wait a minute. Are you really my boyfriend?" Rory teases. "There is no way he'd ever say anything as sappy as that."

"So? What are you wearing, you dirty bitch?" Owen growls into the phone. An elegant middle aged woman in the lobby gives him a disapproving look.

On the other end, Rory giggles and says, "Ah, there he is. Now doesn't it feel better when you just allow yourself to be who you are?"

"You really are something else."

"Yes, I am," she says with a voice full of pride.

"But it is nice to hear you."

"Thank you. So you wanna come join me?"

"Yeah," the doctor says.

xxxx

Owen lets himself into the house and walks up to Rory's bedroom. She closes her book and sets it aside as he strips down to his underwear and crawls into the bed. Rory rests her head on his chest.

"She never hit me," the doctor says quietly. "I had a mate whose mother used to really let him have it when he stepped out of line. Some days I was glad that wasn't me. Some days I wish it was."

"Why?"

"Because at least I could watch those scars heal and those bruises go away. Though I should admit that because of her I worked harder in school just so I could prove her wrong about me."

"You should feel very proud of yourself. You've got a lot of fight in you, Owen. That's one of the things I like about you."

"Christmas was always the worst part of the year. When I was a child, it seemed that everywhere I looked were happy families coming together, giving each other presents, singing songs. I hated them."

"I used to look at all those people rushing around with frantic looks on their faces and wonder what was the big deal."

"You didn't have Christmas?" Owen asks.

"We believed in science. My parents thought that the whole virgin birth story was a bit dodgy, and the Templetons were atheists."

"What about Jack?"

"He used to give me a small gift out of a sense of custom, but that was about it. Funny thing is I never missed it. I always had my family around me."

"You miss them?" Owen asks.

"Every day."

"You still have Jack."

Rory slides over so that she is face to face with Owen and replies, "So do you."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. And you have me."

Rory kisses him on his forehead and laces her fingers with his. He rolls over so that he's on top of her and reaches over to the lamp to turn off the light. They make love without the usual playfulness that is the hallmark their relationship, and Rory relinquishes all control, placing her body and her heart in his hands.

xxxx

Ianto doesn't stir on his side of the bed which Jack takes as a good indication that he is sound asleep. He remains blissfully unaware that the Captain has gotten out of bed and slipped into the storage room that contain his belongings.

Jack knows that it's wrong to snoop. He wonders if he would be upset if Ianto went though the box that contains his old love letters and the pictures of his lost loves (including that of his wife); however, the story of Lillian Jones's descent into madness keeps looping in his brain.

The boxes lay before him neatly arranged, conveniently labeled. Finding old family photographs would be a snap. Jack begins look for the box labeled photos, but in the process, it occurs to him that these boxes are a symbol of Ianto's trust. He agreed to move into the hub with Jack; he agreed to share his life with him. What would the Doctor do? He would certainly snoop, but then again, it seems that little is sacred to that man. What would Tosh do? Or Gwen? Or Rory? She would tell him to step away from those boxes, and if he were truly curious, that he should ask for Ianto's permission. The invasion of a person's privacy is not a way to start a peaceful living arrangement so Jack turns off the lights and closes the door.

xxxx

The next day, Owen makes his way down the stairs and immediately picks up the scent of bacon and coffee. He follows the scent to the kitchen where Rory is making breakfast.

"What's all this?" Owen asks.

Rory takes his hand and leads the table, "The most important meal of the day."

He pulls her on his lap and asks. "Where are your whole wheat bagels? Your fruit salads? Your healthy cereal? Are you trying to kill me?"

"It does seem that way, doesn't it?" she jokes.

Owen pats her rear as she walks back to the bacon, "Back to work, woman. And get me some coffee."

"Yes, my love, my life, my liege," Rory says sarcastically. "Get your skinny ass up here and give me a hand."

As they sit down to eat, Rory asks, "So what are the big plans for the day?"

"We finish breakfast, and go up to your bedroom for morning sex. Then, we do it in the-"

"What about your mother?"

"What about her?"

"She's in town, and you have the day off. Aren't you planning on seeing her?"

"What for? She doesn't do apologies."

"All right. If you don't see her, then I will," Rory announces with a shrug.

"After last night? I thought that you'd be upset."

"She's not my favorite person in the world right now. In fact, I really didn't like her," Rory says calmly. "It's just a courtesy visit to make sure she's all right because I'd at least like to be able to say that I took the higher ground on this matter."

"That's… honest," he says with a smirk on his face.

"I won't lie to you, Owen. I don't have to. That's one of the benefits of this relationship," she tells him. She pushes a bowl of eggs at him. "Now, whisk."

xxxx

At the hub, Jack watches Ianto lover drink his morning coffee while reading the paper. Ianto looks rested. He looks relaxed. He looks as if he never divulged the story of his painful childhood.

"Ianto?"

"Did you want the news section?" he asks. Dressed in the jeans and t-shirt that he wears on his days off, he looks so boyish and almost innocent.

"I want to meet her," Jack says.

Ianto freezes. His face is unreadable, but he crumples the paper in his clenched fist. "You're not serious…"

"Yes, I am, Ianto. I want to see her."

"There's nothing you can do."

Jack reaches out and takes Ianto's hand. "I know, but she is part of you life. And now that you are with me, she's a part of mine."

"Jack, I don't know if I'm up for a visit," the Welshman pleads.

"I will be with you every step of the way, Ianto. I promise."

Ianto wishes that he could deny his lover, but when faced with that loving expression, all forms of protest elude him. "Fine."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Jack and Ianto sign in at the receptionist's desk at Providence Park Psychiatric Hospital. The receptionist smiles at the pair and examines the face of the younger man. He has on his face the expression that she knows only too well - that expression that seesaws between resignation over the state of a loved one's mental health and anxiety over what that loved one might say or do in the course of the visit. However, judging from the concern pouring from his companion, she ventures that he is one of the lucky ones. She's seen too many people make their visits alone.

"Ready?" Jack asks, taking his boyfriend's hands in his.

"Ready," Ianto says stoically.

Jack gives him a small kiss of encouragement on the lips.

Dr. Adam Greenfield welcomes them in the hallway and takes them into his office. "It's been a while since we've seen you, Mr. Jones. How are you doing?"

"Fine, thank you. This is Jack Harkness. He's my boyfriend."

"We just moved in together," the Captain says, almost automatically and unable to contain the pleasure that he feels from saying the words out loud.

"Congratulations to both of you," the psychiatrist tells him.

"Thank you," the men say in unison.

"I understand that you are here to see your mother."

"Yes, sir."

"Now, she is no longer harming herself or trying to harm others since we've switched her medications three months ago. She has been quiet, and it's hard to tell if she even has periods of lucidity any more. I doubt that she will recognize you."

"I understand," Ianto says quietly.

Dr. Greenfield escorts Ianto to a small room where Lillian Jones is waiting for them. The room itself is clean and bright, but it is cold, sterile and bare. The walls are white; the carpet is a drab blue-gray color; and a small window lets in just a small amount of sunlight inside. The only furniture in the room is a table and a pair of benches that have all been bolted to the floor.

"Good afternoon, Lily," the psychiatrist says. "Your son is here to see you today."

Mrs. Jones sits quietly on the bench and stares in the general direction of the window. Jack tries to look beyond the wrinkles and scars for the beautiful woman she once was. Instead of the shabby dressing gown and white hospital outfit, Jack tries to imagine her wearing a red dress that would bring out some color in her cheeks. He knows she used to have dark hair just like Ianto's, but age has made it short, gray, and brittle.

Ianto reaches out to touch her, but hesitates as he recalls her violent history. Instead, he simply says, "Mum, it's me. It's Ianto."

She slowly turns to him and gazes through him with a blank expression on her face. Ianto smiles at her and takes out several photographs from his pocket.

He shows her the one that was taken of him when he was a boy. "You remember me, don't you?"

She does nothing and says nothing.

Ianto finds another one. "Here's one with all three of us - you, me and your husband, Dylan."

She looks at the photograph with mild interest, but it's as if she is looking at a picture of some other family.

"We took that picture on your birthday. That was the year that Dad made you that blue dress. When you took it out of the box, you were surprised, but you were so worried that it wouldn't fit. You underestimated him, Mum. Dad was always the best tailor in Cardiff. He didn't even have to take your measurements. He said he just knew what they were after so many years of just holding you. And it fit."

She stares out the window again.

"Mum, I've, er… I've met someone. I've fallen in love again. His name is Jack. He is strong, brave, and caring. He's also very handsome. Everyone thinks so. He's here with me, and he'd like to meet you." Ianto motions to Jack who promptly sits by his lover's side. "Mum, this is Captain Jack Harkness."

"Hello, Mrs. Jones," he says softly.

She turns her attention to the Captain as if she is admiring a nice piece of art. Suddenly, she crinkles her nose. "You don't belong here." Even after years of therapy, her speech is slow, but her words can be understood.

"He's… American, mum," Ianto says to her.

"You… those eyes… seen so much."

"I have traveled quite a bit," Jack replies.

Without warning, Mrs. Jones grabs the Captain's wrists. "This thing… this thing in me… no peace."

Jack remains still. He doesn't even flinch, "What thing?"

"Out of control. Fix me," Lillian pleads.

"What is inside of you?" Jack asks.

"Won't let me be!" she howls. She focuses her attention on the Captain's wrist strap. "Fix me."

"What do you want me to do?" Jack asks.

"Please help. They don't understand," Lillian cries

Jack leans in closes to her and whispers, "What are you?"

"A stranger like you," she whispers back.

Ianto's face has gone pale as he watches the exchange. "Jack, what is going on?"

Jack tries to leave the room, but Lillian throws herself at him. "Fix me! Out of control! Fix me!"

The Captain gently holds on to her arms, trying to restrain her. He looks into her eyes, wondering who is really staring back at him. "I'll be back," he tells her. "I promise."

But as Jack attempts to leave again, Lillian becomes more insistent. She pulls on the Captain's arm trying to keep him from leaving. Jack allows her to cling to him as long as she doesn't hurt herself or anyone else. For Ianto's sake, he remains calm. Dr. Greenfield pushes a button on his pager, and within seconds, two orderlies appear and take control of the situation. Outside in the hallway, Ianto leans his forehead on the wall and begins to weep quietly. Jack takes him into his arms and allows him to cry on his shoulder. The Captain watches the psychiatrist sedate Lillian, and very quickly the violent fit passes. Soon, it is quiet enough for Jack to hear the muffled sounds of Ianto's ragged breaths.

The orderlies take Mrs. Jones back to her room, and Dr. Greenfield takes the men back to his office. "How are you, Mr. Jones?" the doctor repeats.

Ianto dabs at his eyes with his handkerchief. "Better."

"What did she mean about the thing inside her?" Jack asks.

The psychiatrist offers his explanation, "Lillian has problems finding the right words to express herself for years. By saying there is something inside of her, she may be acknowledging her current state. When she says 'fix me,' she may want medication to treat her chronic pain. It's hard to say."

"Why'd she ask for my help?" Jack asks.

"She asks that of all new people who come in direct contact with her - new nurses, new staff, new patients. Although, we've never seen her have such a strong reaction. I'm not quite sure what triggered it." Dr. Greenfield turns his attention to Ianto. "Now Mr. Jones, I want you to know that none of your mother's behavior was your fault in any way. There is no way we could have anticipated that your visit would provoke such a reaction. Do you understand?"

Ianto shakes his head. "Yes."

The psychiatrist continues, "It is very important that you take care of yourself. Having an ill family member can be too heavy a burden for some. Luckily, it seems that you are in a loving relationship with a supportive partner. Be glad for that, Mr. Jones."

"I am," he replies. He squeezes Jack's hand.

"I have to commend you, Mr. Harkness," Dr. Greenfield says. "You handled yourself well under difficult circumstances."

"I'm used to difficult circumstances," Jack replies with a world-weary sigh.

xxxx

On the drive home, Ianto turns to his lover and asks, "Are you okay?"

With a mirthless chuckle, Jack answers, "You're asking me?"

"It must have been a terrible shock for you."

"What about you? What can I do for you, Ianto?"

"By going with me, by remaining calm during one of her fits, by holding me when I needed you - you've done plenty."

Jack can only think of that frightened woman in the cheerless room, pleading for his help. He's seen that look in the eyes of the rift victims at Flat Holm, but now it's personal. He can't shake the feeling that there is something that he can do. He just has to figure out what that is.

xxxx

Owen would rather go head to head with a Weevil than to face his mother. After acquiescing yet again to another of his girlfriend's ideas, he begins to wonder if he's been whipped by her. However, Rory will do what she wants. It was one of the first things he learned about her. It was one of the first things that attracted him to her. He reminds himself that she promised to reward him later, and she can be very, very generous.

"Best face forward," Rory whispers.

"She's my mum. I'll scowl if I want to," Owen replies as he knocks on the door to his mother's hotel suite.

Rory kisses his cheek until he can't help but smile.

His mother interrupts them. "Well, at least you can get him to smile."

"Hello, Mrs. Harper," Rory says, extending her hand. Her voice has a cheerful, yet professional ring to it.

Vickie shakes it apprehensively, "Hello, Dr. Templeton."

"I see you remembered her title," Owen remarks.

"Well, I'm sure you won't let me forget."

Rory casually enters the room as if it were her own. "Now that we've gotten the pleasantries out of the way, how about we sit?" she suggests.

The Harpers awkwardly follow her to the sitting area of the room.

"How are you, Mrs. Harper?" Rory inquires.

"Feeling a bit better, thank you. I guess I'm not used to the type of wine you served last night."

Owen rolls his eyes. "It's not the wine that was the problem. Are you even going to apologize?"

"I am sorry," Vickie says with a slightly defensive tone. "You did your best to make me feel welcome, and I got nervous-"

Rory gently cuts her off with a wave of her hand, "I accept your apology."

"You must really care about my son to put me up in this posh hotel and invite me to your home."

"I do. I suppose I had this idea that you would tell me a bit about Owen when he was younger."

"God, do I have some stories about that boy and the trouble he used to get into."

"I don't believe this," Owen scoffs.

A small flicker of frustration travels across Rory's face. "Mrs. Harper, I need you to understand that your son is a good man. The day I met him, I was attacked, and he examined me as a physician. But before he did, he held my hand and explained what he was going to do during the course of the exam. He never said that everything was going to be okay because quite frankly at that moment, I'm not sure if I would have believed him, but he was comforting nonetheless. He was patient with me and gentle. He was also the first person to look me in the eye after the attack when everyone else wanted to look away; and that made me feel safe. Owen is a wonderful man. If you can't see that, then I want nothing to do with you."

"I suppose you'll want me to leave," Mrs. Harper says with a snort.

"Of course, not. You are welcome to stay for the rest of the weekend as I promised you earlier. However, I will not tolerate you and Owen taking swipes at each other in my presence, especially in my own home. Now if the two of you can be polite, then I'm sure that we can all get along."

"You don't mince words, do you?" Vickie asks.

"Not anymore," Rory replies. "If you'll excuse me."

Owen stops her before she leaves and whispers to her, "I'll be with you in a tick. I just want to say a few things to her."

Rory nods.

"By the way," he adds. "Do you have any idea what you do to me?"

She replies with a girlish laugh. "I'll wait in the lobby. Take as long as you need."

Once she's left, Owen tells his mother, "She's serious, you know."

"Does the same go for you?"

"No. You're my mum no matter what. I just want to know… Did you come because she agreed to put you up in a five-star hotel for the weekend? Did you expect to find yourself waited upon by a full staff when you arrived at her house? Did you really want to meet her, or did you want to see what you could get out of her?"

"Do I have to answer that question when you've already made up your mind about me? I reckon I don't deserve any sympathy or understanding even though I am the woman who -"

"Blames me for all the misery in her life?"

"I never said such a thing."

"No, but you implied that in front of my girlfriend and my boss," Owen mutters. "But I won't cut you out of my life. In spite all the cutting remarks, I still love you, and like a big, fucking idiot, I keep thinking that one day you could love me too."

"I do, son."

"Yeah, but not unconditionally. I must be insane, but I'm actually beginning to believe that I deserve that," Owen says to her. "If you feel that you can spend a small bit of time with me without treating me like the worst thing that has happened to you, you know where to reach me."

As he stands in the elevator, he feels quite pleased with himself for handling the situation without losing his cool. He finds Rory in the lobby, talking on her mobile.

"Yeah, not a problem. I'll see you in a bit," she says into the phone.

"Who was that?"

"Uncle Jack."

"What'd he want?" Owen asks.

"He wants me to do a few maintenance things on the SUV. You know, change the oil filter, check the fluids and the engine. Shouldn't take to long."

"And he called you for that? He does know that you are overqualified for the job, and he can do it himself."

"Of course, he does and of course, he can. But he's family, and from the sound of his voice, he needs more than my mechanical skills."

"You owe me," Owen growls.

"You can use this time to think of a way I can make it up to you," she says with a wink.

Owen grins and begins making a mental list.

xxxx

When they arrive at the hub, Ianto is waiting for them, holding out a boiler suit for Rory.

"Wow! This is what all the Weevils are wearing this season," she jokes when she takes it from him.

"You'll be the hit at all of the finest sewers," Ianto retorts. However, his voice is a bit lower than usual and his eyes do not match his smile.

The alien notices. "I'll go change."

As soon as Ianto has left the room, Jack approaches Owen and says, "Didn't think that you'd be here."

Owen looks up at him and answers, "I'm here as a union rep, making sure that no alien engineers are exploited on a weekend."

"I meant that I thought that you'd be with your mum."

"Doing what? Buying matching jumpers and looking for a mug that says 'World Greatest Mum?'"

"You want to help me with something?" Jack asks.

"You know Rory said that there was something on your mind. If you're plotting world domination, I call dibs on China."

"Are you helping me or not?"

"What is it?"

"Not what. Who. Lillian Jones. She was involved in a car crash about 15 years ago. I want her medical records. I want to see CT scans, X-rays, lists of medications she's been taking, the works."

"All right, but why am I doing this?"

"Just a hunch," Jack replies.

"A hunch?"

"Yes. You've got an hour while Rory is working on the SUV. After that, the two of you can do whatever it is the two of you do when you're together."

"Actually, we were planning on -"

Jack cuts his off with an exasperated sigh, "Yeah, I don't want to know."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Rory tells Ianto about the second meeting with Owen's mum as she installs the filter on the SUV while Ianto mindlessly hands her the tools.

"And the whole time while I was trying to keep my cool, inside all the neurons were just firing away on red alert. On the other hand, I did feel like kind of a bad ass."

"Hmm."

"Ianto? Yan?" she calls out to him when it finally dawns on him that he's not listening. She nudges him with her shoe.

"Yes. Did you want coffee?"

"It occurs to me that I was called out here to cheer you up," Rory says. "And I must be doing a piss-poor job of it from the looks of it."

"I am sorry. I should have been paying attention."

"You can talk to me about anything. You do know that?" Rory asks.

The Welshman nods.

"Ianto, whatever it is you're feeling, don't shut us out. If you don't want to talk about it with me, there are other people who love you very much and who are willing to listen."

"I know," he replies. "It's just that it's hard for me to…" He is unable to finish his sentence.

Rory reaches out for his hand, but it's covered with grease. They both chuckle as she rolls her eyes and wipes it on the boiler suit.

"Perhaps we can do something later on this week, like watch _The Pirate Movie_and sing along to all of the songs," Rory suggests.

"I could use a little 'Pumping and Blowing.'"

"Don't you get enough of that with Jack?"

Ianto narrows his eyes at her, but she wrinkles her nose at him, Mirna Loy-style.

"So how 'bout it?" she asks.

"Sounds like a plan. We'll definitely have to include Tosh, and maybe Gwen."

"Gwen can come if she promises not to sing."

"I don't think that'll be a problem," Ianto replies. "I don't think she's ever seen this particular cinematic gem."

"Ooh, a newbie," Rory exclaims. But she adds, "Though if she thinks that the movie is lame, don't think I won't make her walk the plank."

"Right there with you, sister," Ianto says.

xxxx

Meanwhile, Owen sorts through Lillian's medical records, focusing on her latest test results.

Jack enters from his office with work of his own. "You find anything?"

"I was able to get into the database and pull her file, which is completely illegal I might add."

"We're Torchwood."

"We might be above the government and all that, but this is personal. You failed to mention that Lillian Jones is Ianto's mother. Does he know that you're checking up on his mum?"

Jack says nothing.

"I thought so," Owen says with a sigh. "All right, I won't tell Rory about this because she won't keep it from Ianto. Besides, it's not my place to talk about it."

"Thank you. Did you find anything?"

"Nothing but a mundane case of head trauma."

"There's nothing mundane about the damage it can do." Jack looks at the MRI and asks, "What is that on the screen?"

"That's just a shadow. This image was probably taken by a technician."

"You sure?"

"Okay. This is the latest MRI from her yearly check-up. MRIs are expensive and getting a woman with this sort of damage to get one done is a piece of work."

"There's only so much an MRI scanner can do," Jack points out. "Lillian Jones is more aware of her surroundings than she lets on. She's in there. She asked me for my help, and maybe there is something that is keeping her mind trapped."

"So what do you think it is?" Owen asks. "Alien?"

"Maybe."

"Did you pick up alien life forms on your wrist strap?"

"No, I didn't have time to take a look. The doctors and the orderlies were always around, and Ianto would have noticed which would have made him more upset."

"Even if you go back in there and scan her with our equipment, Ianto will find out. He knows everything that goes on in this place."

"So that's it?"

"Her file's all there. You can look through it if you so desire," Owen says as he shuts down his computer. "Bit of advice, Jack?"

"You're gonna give it to me anyway."

"Tell Ianto what you're up to."

"I want to my suspicions to be much more that a hunch. If I'm wrong, I don't want him to get worked up for no reason. If I'm right, then I can tell him, and we can decide what to do next. I have to protect him right now."

"Right," Owen mutters, somewhat satisfied by Jack's argument. "Now, I'd like to get back to my girl and enjoy the rest of my weekend if that's all right with you."

"Take care of her," Jack says.

"I always do."

xxxx

That night, as Jack and Ianto walk along the bay, neither one of them has much to say. The older man is too wrapped up in the mystery of Lillian Jones; while the younger man struggles to replace the image of her in the hospital with a happier memory.

"She was a librarian," Ianto finally says. "Loved books, especially history. I keep thinking that the two of you would have had some interesting conversations about World War II."

"You suppose I could have taught her a couple of things?"

Ianto doesn't answer. Instead a small smile forms on his lips.

Jack laces his fingers though his boyfriend's and leans on his shoulder as they walk. "I wonder if I met her before the accident. When she was five, Rory liked going to the library and read books about electrical repair… and monkeys, especially gibbons. I got the distinct pleasure of taking her once or twice."

"I'm sure she would have been helpful – well, slightly perplexed by the notion of a five year old girl reading repair books, but helpful. When I was that age, I was going through my Dr. Suess phase."

"When I was a kid those books were still considered classics. My mum used to read them to me."

"Really?" Ianto says as his eyes light up. "It's good to know that the genius of _One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish_ will stand the test of time.."

"Feeling better?"

"I think so. It's just…she's supposed to be my burden - something that _I_ have to live with, something that I can't fix."

Jack stops walking and cups Ianto's face in his hands. "You never have to go through anything alone if I can help it," he replies just before giving him a kiss on the lips.

Ianto tries not to cry. He holds on the lapels of his lover's coat. "Let's go home," he says quietly.

xxxx

Later that night, as Ianto sleeps, Jack sits in his office and cross-references the police report with the rift activity log. He asks himself, "If a car leaves Manchester at ten o'clock going at the speed of 70 miles per hour, and an alien flies out of Cardiff like a bat out of hell… Where would they meet?"

Of course, Jack wonders if the decades of working at Torchwood have finally gotten to him, and he is beginning to see rift involvement everywhere. And if his theory is true and Lillian had a close encounter, why didn't anyone catch it sooner? Furthermore, the fact that there was alien activity the day she crashed, doesn't mean there's a link between the two events. On the other hand, why would a healthy, sober driver with a clean traffic record suddenly lose control of her car? The police report offers no explanation.

He hears a noise in the hub and curse word muttered in Welsh. Jack quickly tucks away The Jones File before the younger man stumbles into the office.

"What are you doing up?" the older man asks.

"I woke up, and you weren't there," Ianto replies. "You?"

"Working. Go back to bed. I'll be back in soon."

"I hurt my leg in case you're interested. I bumped my thigh against Owen's desk."

"You want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"It's the least you could do for sneaking away to do paperwork," Ianto replies, looking more alert and horny.

"Five minutes," Jack says. "And lose the robe before I get in there."

"Yes, sir!"

Jack decides that he should pay Lillian another visit. He hides the file in a hidden compartment in his desk before following his younger lover to the bedroom, happy for the opportunity to clear his head.

xxxx

The Captain decides that the best time to go back to Providence Park is when Ianto is on his morning jog. He knows that the Welshman won't question the note that he left on the dresser:

_Had to run. Got an alien to investigate. Shouldn't take too long. Love, Jack._

At Providence Park, Jack takes out a bag from the SUV and takes a deep breath, hoping that the staff won't notice his apprehension. He's barged into so many places with an authority that has been mistaken for cockiness, but this time it's so different. He's frightened by what he might find and the consequences of his visit. Owen cautioned him about this being too personal and rightly so. But it's too late to turn back. Jack makes his grand entrance anyway.

"This is Torchwood," he announces to the receptionist. "I need to speak to a patient in your secure wing."

xxxx

Minutes later, Jack finds himself in the visitors room, alone with Mrs. Jones.

"You're back." She doesn't even look at the Captain, but instead stares a the wall.

"Just as I promised."

"Fix me."

"That's what I intend to do," Jack replies as he checks his wrist strap. "Lillian, I need to take you somewhere safe - where I can fix you, where I can make things right. Do you trust me?"

"Trust a stranger?" she asks quietly as if wrapped up in thought. "Trust a stranger."

"That's right Lillian. I love your son. I want to do everything that I can to help him and you. We have to be quite and calm, Lillian," he insists.

"Your eyes… so old… an ancient one to save me."

"How do you know who I am?"

"Keeper of the light," she whispers. "Keeper of the light. So much power."

"What light, Lillian? Tell me about the light."

But she begins to rant once again. "No peace. No control."

"Listen. You'll have all of the peace you're looking for. Just come with me, quietly."

Dr. Greenfield sees the two walking down the hallway to the exit. "Where are you taking her?" he demands.

"She is important to the safety of this country. I'm taking her with me."

"But we need the consent of a family member."

"I am Ianto's family, and it is my duty to protect this city and its citizens."

"I will notify him!" the psychiatrist yells.

Jack doesn't answer and moves forward with his plan.

xxxx

However, Dr. Greenfield makes good on his threat, and by the time Jack carries the sedated Mrs. Jones into the hub, Ianto is waiting for him, still dressed in his running clothes.

"Have you gone completely mental?" Ianto asks.

"Owen should be here soon to complete the full examination," Jack says. He carries her to the autopsy room where he straps her into the bed with full restraints.

"Jack, please talk to me."

"When I went back to see her, I picked up alien readings from her."

The younger man shakes his head and backs away from his lover. "No. Please. No." Ianto's façade completely breaks down, and he begins to weep openly. "No. Anything but this," he moans.

"Ianto, I didn't want this to happen, but there are some things about your mother's accident that could not be explained."

"You looked for trouble. You went behind my back."

"Maybe there is hope for her. That's why I investigated her case."

Owen and Rory enter the room, and Ianto turns his anger towards them. "Did you know about this?"

"She didn't, but I did," Owen admits.

Ianto moves towards the doctor in a menacing fashion, but before he can punch him, Rory touches his shoulder. With a flash of light, the Welshman collapses into Owen's arms.

"What did you do?" Jack asks.

"I fooled his brain and made him sleepy," she replies. "I don't know how long it will last. Last time, it was fifteen minutes."

"You've been testing this?"

"On the Weevils and me," Owen admits. "Better than a stun gun, eh?"

"I'll keep an eye on our guest while you boys make Ianto comfortable," Rory says, as she watches Lillian sleep.

"Gwen should be here in a few minutes," Jack says. "She'll take over."

"I rang Tosh, as well," Owen tells his boss. "The tea-boy's gonna need his friends."

xxxx

Ianto wakes up twenty minutes later with Tosh on one side and Rory on the other.

"Never thought I'd wake with the two of you in my bed. And I'm all sweaty," he comments. "You put me to sleep."

"You know I hate violence," Rory replies. "Just for the record, Owen didn't want Jack to keep you in the dark about this."

"Are you going to defend your uncle?"

"Jack is… Jack," she replies.

"He's a man of action," Tosh says. "Once he's made up his mind…"

"Yeah, I should know," Ianto says with a cynical laugh.

"And he loves you very much," Tosh adds.

"I don't know if I can go through this again - not after Lisa."

"But this time it's different," Tosh reminds him. "And Jack is going to fix this."

Rory bites her lip and looks away.

"What?" Ianto asks.

"To be honest, we don't know that," she replies. "We can't promise you that until we know more."

"You say that because of Imogene - because she couldn't be fixed after she was diagnosed with cancer," Ianto surmises.

"Yeah," Rory says. "But I can promise that we will be here for you, no matter what."

"Do you think I can see her?" Ianto asks.

"I think so. Just be strong - for her," Rory advises.

xxxx

When they walk into the autopsy bay, Gwen is attempting to talk to Lillian, "Mrs. Jones, we know that you are in there, fighting this. Just keep holding on for your son."

"Out of control," the patient murmurs.

Owen steps in between the two women. "I need you to step back, Gwen. Don't want your brain to get mixed in with her results."

Jack looks up at Ianto who is standing on the railing and tries to read the expression on his face. He wonders if he can be forgiven. However, Ianto is too preoccupied with his mother at the moment. Jack takes solace that Tosh has her arm wrapped around Ianto while Rory holds his hand.

"So what have we got?" Jack asks.

"Don't really know," Owen answers. "Either the parasite has fully integrated itself with Lillian or… Mrs. Jones is an alien herself."

"How do we know for sure?" Ianto asks.

"Still working out that part," the doctor says. "I could use a cup of…" But he stops himself from speaking any further, trying to avoid giving Ianto an order.

"I'll go get the coffee," Rory offers.

"You stay. I might need you to keep her calm," Owen says. "Gwen, would you?"

"But, I could -" she protests.

"I'll go," Tosh says just to placate the heart of Torchwood.

"I'll take mine with milk and two sugars, yeah?" Gwen says without meeting the computer expert's eyes.

In spite of his pain, Ianto still finds it in him to whisper to Tosh, "Welcome to my world."

"I am so sorry," Tosh replies.

"Jack, can I see you alone?" Ianto asks.

The Captain feels a rush of anxiety and hope rush through his body. "Let's go to my office."

Gwen turns her attention to Lillian, "It's me again. We know what's wrong with you -"

Owen will have none of it. "Gwen, please, I'm trying to work. Besides, I'm not even sure that Lillian is paying any attention to you. No matter what, she's still brain-damaged."

"What do I do, then?"

"Watch," Rory replies as she takes Gwen's place.

* * *

_A/N: The RavenclawNinja thought I should include something about Jack's mother. I agree. I'm thinking it should come in the next chapter during Ianto's conversation with Jack. _


	5. Chapter 5

_**A/N: Sorry for the slight delay. I try to update weekly, but this chapter took at least three different drafts before I decided on the best one. Apparently, people want Lillian to live which was not part of my original plan.**_

* * *

**Chapter Five**

Jack and Ianto stare at each other for what seems like an eternity, not knowing where to begin.

"I scared the shit out of you and Owen, didn't I?" Ianto finally asks.

"Yeah, you did," Jack answers. "Still angry?"

"Yes. You took my mother out of the hospital."

"I know. There's more." Jack pulls out the police record of the accident and places the file on the desk.

As Ianto flips through the documents, the only words that come to his mind are, "You've been busy."

"I also pulled up her medical file and gave it to Owen. I needed more information about your mother so-"

"You did all this without telling me. I thought we were closer than this," Ianto says angrily.

"I had to be sure because she is your mother. I wanted to protect you. I know it's not a very good excuse, but it's the only justification I have to offer."

"I have spent all these years trying to accept what happened to her. I was never the same after that accident. I lost my father because of that accident. Do you have any idea what that sort of loss does to a child?" Ianto asks in a voice that is both bitter and exhausted.

"Yes, I do," Jack replies in a steady voice. "Our city was attacked by the most horrible creatures that you can imagine. They killed my father, but not only that, I lost my brother, Ianto. We were running for our lives, and I let go. He got lost in the crowd, and I never saw him again. After that, it was just me and my mum left to try to pick up the pieces and move on like my dad would have wanted us to. But to live with that guilt of losing my brother…"

As his boyfriend tells his story, Ianto's anger has been replaced by sympathy. "She didn't blame you, did she?"

"She said it wasn't my fault. She said that I was young and scared, but every time she set the table, she would cry because there were two empty places. She made sure I had a roof over my head and food on the table, but I stopped being her little boy. There were no more games in our house. The joy was gone, and the life was sucked out of our home. We became two damaged people who were merely surviving. She said it wasn't my fault, but the silence said otherwise."

Jack pause to wipe the tears from his eyes with his handkerchief before he continues, "And you know, parents will say that they don't have a favorite, but I'm not so certain. It always felt like I belonged to my dad, and my brother Grey belonged to my mum. That's just the way we were always paired off. Maybe it had to do with me being older, or that my dad and I were more alike. The disappearance only made that favoritism obvious."

"Did the two of you ever talk about it?"

"No. As soon as I was old enough, I enlisted. I thought with military connections would make my search for Grey easier, but I also enlisted because couldn't get out of the house fast enough. I had to get away from her. And you know what happens to small town boys once they get a taste of freedom… I'd call home with a few sketchy details about where I'd been. She sent me a few care packages, but over time, we drifted. My own mother and I became strangers. When I got stuck in the nineteenth century, when I realized that I couldn't get back to my own time, I hadn't spoken to my mother in four years."

Ianto sits quietly in the chair and allows the story to sink in before speaking. "Why didn't you tell me this sooner?"

"Why didn't you tell me about your mum until a couple of days ago? Both of us have memories that are too painful to bring to the surface. Sharing would only force us to deal with them."

"So many years running from ourselves. We have to believe together we can be stronger and we can draw comfort from each other," Ianto says quietly. "Isn't that what our relationship has always been about from the beginning?"

"Well, yes."

"Jack, you didn't have to hide this from me. You could have spoken to me about your investigation into my mother's accident."

"I am sorry, Ianto."

The younger man sighs heavily, but he looks into Jack's eyes and says sincerely, "I accept."

"Are we okay?" the Captain asks with his vulnerability on display.

Ianto wraps his arms around Jack's neck. "You have forgiven others for far worse things. I should follow that example. And I want us to be open with each other. I need to be able to count on you."

"You know you can," Jack replies.

"And you can count on me."

The immortal man strokes his lover's cheek and asks. "So what do we do now?"

"I should take a shower," Ianto replies. "You and the team should continue your investigation."

"We'll do our best for her."

"I know you will," Ianto says.

xxxx

As the rest of the team enters the boardroom, Jack pulls Owen aside and asks, "Rory isn't coming up?"

"She's keeping an eye on Lillian. She reckons she's got the most experience dealing with invalids."

Jack nods and ushers the doctor inside where Tosh is passing out the coffees and Gwen is looking through the police report.

"So what do we know?" Jack asks.

"Every image that we've taken of her brain with all of our equipment shows the same shadow," Owen reports. "So I went back and sorted through her CAT scans and MRIs and discovered a small trend. It seems that her scans start off looking slightly over-exposed, but still readable. The thing is, as the years go by, they start getting progressively dimmer until they look normal. Then, a four years ago the shadow began to form around the brain."

As Tosh inspects the images, she comments, "This is so subtle. No one could have possibly noticed."

"So is it part of her or is it alien?" Jack asks.

"The preliminary DNA reading is a mess. It seems that she is part human, part something else."

"Half what?" Tosh asks.

"Still fuzzy on that bit," Owen replies.

"Cause of accident is still unknown," Jack says. "Witnesses say she unexpectedly veered into the wrong lane, but none of the usual alien markers are there. No strangers in her car, no weird lights, no gases."

"Owen, did you go through the entire file?" Gwen asks.

"Yeah, I looked at all her scans, meds, therapy session logs," he replies.

"But not the visitor's log?" Gwen asks.

"Why?" Jack asks.

Gwen looks up from her files, "I've been looking through the records searching for someone we can interview about the case. It seems that a woman named Trudy Williams visited her every first Sunday of the month since the accident without fail. Ms. Williams is also listed as one of the witnesses to the crash. She was the first to stop and render aid."

Jack flashes the former police woman a huge grin. "You feel like talking to her?"

"I'll go look her up." she replies as she types in the information on the computer.

"Utter genius," Jack exclaims.

"What?" Owen protests in disbelief. "You call her a genius because she's able to match up names? I'm a genius. Tosh is a genius. According to his IQ scores, even Ianto is a bloody genius. Gwen is merely above average with a case of the warm fuzzies."

Gwen pauses for a bit and looks up, "Ianto is a genius?"

Tosh explains, "Owen was giving Ianto grief about being just a tea boy one day, so to shut him up Ianto made Owen test his IQ."

"I only hire the best," Jack boasts.

"All I'm saying is that you shouldn't use that word so lightly when it is a quantifiable thing," Owen insists.

Jack begins to chuckle, "You're beginning to sound just like Rory. She and her parents were always big snobs about that sort of thing."

"If that sort of snobbery is her worst trait, then I consider myself lucky," Owen says with a smug smile on his face.

"Found her address," Gwen says. "Off to good-old Splott."

"You mean Sploe," Jack says with a wink. "Let's go then."

Jack catches his lover on the way out, "Gwen and I are going out to investigate your mother's accident. Do you want to come along?"

"No," he replies somberly. "I want to stay with her."

"Tosh, can tell you what we know so far."

Ianto merely nods and looks at the floor.

"I'll be back soon," Jack says. He starts to rush off, but hesitates. He pulls Ianto into his arms and kisses his forehead. The Welshman responds by kissing his lips gently. They stand in front of the cog door, holding onto each other until…

Gwen clears her throat. "I'm ready. You driving?"

Jack slowly pulls away from Ianto and says, "Yeah."

Gwen squeezes Ianto's arm affectionately before she follows the Captain out the cog door.

Ianto enters the autopsy room where Owen is trying to swab Lillian's mouth to get a DNA sample. Rory gently holds onto the patient's head and calms her breathing just enough to for Owen to complete the task.

"What's that for?" Ianto asks nervously.

"The preliminary DNA test was rubbish," Owen explains. "So I'm doing it the old-fashioned way." The doctor pauses for a moment to examine Ianto's expression, "How are you doing?"

"Better," he replies. "Sorry about earlier. If Rory hadn't…"

"Hey, I really like that face," Rory interjects. "Would be a shame if something were to happen to it."

"This thing inside of me won't leave me alone," Lillian moans. "An ancient one to save me. The child of light. Keeper of light."

"She's been calm, but she's been saying that for a while now," Rory says as she strokes the patient's hair.

"The child of light. Fix me."

"I suppose she means you," Tosh says to Rory.

"Well, I have been keeping her vitals stable," she mutters, trying to remain calm for the benefit of everyone in the room. "I can also block her pain receptors."

"Pretty neat trick," Tosh says in admiration.

Suddenly, Mrs. Jones grabs Rory's wrist and mutters, "Child of the ancient one. Fix me. Please. This thing inside of me. Fix me."

"What ancient one?" Rory asks gently.

"The ancient family. Your light never goes out," Lillian says. "Never goes out."

Rory slowly disengages herself from Lillian's grip, but the damage is done. The patients words are swirling in her head like a riddle she must solve. "Child of the ancient one," she repeats.

"Father to child," Mrs. Jones whispers. "Then father to child, then father to child, then father to child. The light never goes out."

xxxx

Jack and Gwen arrive at the tiny flat that Trudy Williams rents. Immediately, the Captain notices that her sitting room is decorated with an abundance of crosses, crucifixes, figurines of angels and saints. But what makes him uncomfortable is the altar dedicated to Lillian Jones that sits where most people would place the television.

The forty-year old woman in a baggy jumper smiles at it with pride. "She's a miracle, you know."

"A miracle she survived?" Jack asks as he accepts a cup of tea from her.

"You came here looking for the truth," Trudy says. "The problem with that is most people are not ready to believe. It seems that these are bad times for real faith."

Gwen smiles at her sympathetically. "We are open-minded people, Ms. Williams. I can assure you that we will listen to your story."

Trudy's eyes glisten as she begins to talk about Mrs. Jones. "She is full of light. I mean literally full of light. When I crouched down next to her, she was glowing. I never saw anything like it, but I immediately knew she was this wounded angel. So I had to reach out and touch her."

"Are you sure she was glowing?" Jack asks.

"Why, yes. How could I forget something like that?" Trudy insists. "How could I forget what happened next? I touched her, and it was like I was her. It was like her blood was running through my body… like her breathing was the same as mine."

Jack isn't sure what to think anymore, "Like you could feel her pain?"

"Yes," Trudy cries. "I could feel her pain. I knew that woman was special from that moment on, but I didn't tell the police since she stopped glowing by the time they arrived. Besides, who knows what they would have done to her in this godless age? It's bad enough they put her in that jail."

"It's a hospital," Gwen clarifies.

"It's a jail. The windows have bars, you know."

Unable to keep the anger out of his voice, Jack asks "What else can you tell us?"

"That she is the reason I became born-again. She brought me closer to my Lord," Trudy says.

"I think we heard enough," Jack says, eager to get back to the hub. "Thank you, Ms. Williams."

"You do believe me?" the witness pleads. "You can see the truth when you look at her. She talks about the child of light who will save her, and I know that she can only mean our Lord. He will come down for her and rid the world of all the evils of this world, all of the sin, the drugs, the easy sex, the-"

Jack has had his fill of religion for that day. "Ms. Williams, she is not an angel. She is merely a very sick human being who in a moment of confusion tried to attack her own husband right in front of their son."

Gwen tries to pull the Captain out of the house, "Jack, please."

"The only truth I see is that you are trying to gain salvation through a woman who is brain damaged-" he hisses.

"Enough!" the former policewoman yells.

xxxx

As they drive back to the hub, Jack mutters, "Fundamentalists have always gotten to me, and to use an invalid to validate their own ideas about righteousness… If you ask me, she belongs in Providence Park, but at least, I got my answer."

"Are you thinking what I am?" Gwen asks.

"If you're thinking that we have a brain to rewire, then yes."

"I wasn't really thinking that, but how are we going to do that?"

"I sort of have an idea, but Owen isn't going to like it. I'm not sure if I like the idea myself," Jack responds with a grimace on his face. "The only thing I don't understand is how Lillian Jones arrived in Cardiff under Torchwood's radar. How long has she been here? Most of all, why is she here?"


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: After some angst-filled chapters, finally, a lighter one which answers some questions. Thank you for your reviews.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

The first person Jack sees when he enters the hub is Rory. She sits on the couch and absent-mindedly tugs at the locket around her neck. She smiles at him, but her eyes tell him that she is half a world away. The Captain returns the smile, but his thoughts are on his boyfriend.

Jack stands at the top of the stairs that lead into the autopsy room. "Ianto, can I see you in my office?"

The Welshman nods and allows Gwen to take his place at his mother's side.

Tosh enters the main room of the hub and sits next to Rory on the sofa. "You look pensive," she says to the alien.

"When a Light Keeper is born, it's a father's duty to pass his energy to the newborn," Rory replies with a soft, fragile voice. "It's the same spark my dad got from my grandfather who got it from my great-grandfather and so on. I was just thinking about how my mother told me that I was part of one of the oldest families on her home planet."

"The child of the ancient one. How could she know that?" Toshiko asks, skeptically.

"I don't know. But her energy just feels different…"

"What are you thinking, Rory?"

The alien looks at her friend and asks, "What if she was one of my species?"

xxxx

As the girls talk about Rory's suspicions, Ianto paces around Jack's office after the immortal man has explained his theory.

"You really think she's a Light Keeper?" Ianto asks in disbelief.

"I think she was in transition when she had her accident. When her brain was damaged, she couldn't complete the process so her spark just hovers around in her head, but I think Lillian knows that it's in there. Part of her knows what's going on, but the other part of her doesn't recognize all of her old memories as her own. She has all that clutter in her head that she can't control."

"That thing inside her that won't leave her in peace," Ianto says as it begins to sink in that maybe, just maybe Jack is right. "What do we do now?"

"We rewire her brain," Jack replies. "With a few modifications, we can use the mind probe."

"No," Ianto says. "I am not risking my mother's life with that thing."

"It'll be okay," Jack insists. "Rory's species can take that level of energy. I once watched her father get hit by a bolt of lightening, but he just shook it off and kept jogging as if nothing had happened. Well, he was very hyperactive for the rest of the day, but he survived."

"And what if you're wrong about my mother?" Ianto argues.

Jack sighs heavily and looks at the picture of his niece that sits on his desk. "We always have another option… We remove Rory's spark and use it to jumpstart Lillian's brain."

"That would take away her alien abilities," Ianto points out. "If you do that she won't be able to remember us or anything that's happened in the past six months. She won't remember the man she loves."

"It's a risk, but we might be able to give the spark back once Lily is able to think clearly," Jack replies.

"I can't ask Rory to do that," Ianto insists. "She'll lose part of her personality. It'll be like asking her to get a lobotomy."

"So do we just leave your mother in the state she's in? Do we just send her back to the hospital without at least trying to give her a better life? Ianto, this is a good thing, and she will do this for you-"

"It's not fair," Ianto comments. "To gain a mother, I have to risk losing a friend."

"You won't be losing her. She'll just be human for a while."

"I wasn't talking about Rory."

Jack wraps his arms around his lover and kisses him affectionately. "Once everything is back to normal, Owen will come around."

"I wouldn't be so sure. What if we can't turn things back to normal?"

"Have a little faith," Jack says.

But right before Jack is about to leave, Ianto has an idea. "No. Just wait. I need to do something first. I need to find something."

xxxx

Ianto rushes to the storage room where he is keeping the boxes from the move. He quickly finds the box he's looking for and rummages through it until he finds a wooden box. He opens it and takes out a locket with a picture of his mother as a young girl on one side and an odd engraving on the other side. Ianto pulls out his mobile from his pocket and dials.

"Hello… Granddad?" he says into the receiver.

David Goodall answers with warm enthusiasm, "Ianto? Haven't heard from you in ages! How have you been, son?"

"I need to talk to you about a locket you gave my mother."

"What locket?"

"The one you gave her in Manchester the day my cousin was born."

David pauses to think for a moment, "That was a long time ago. Your grandmother found it whilst cleaning out the attic."

"Did you find anything else with the locket?" Ianto asks impatiently.

"There was a ring, a few wristwatches, a flask, a tiny silver trinket box that I was going to give to your Aunt Lydia, but she didn't seem to want it."

"Do you know where you got them?"

"Actually, now that I think about it. Can't really say."

"Do you know where these items are?" Ianto says.

"Oh, Ianto, that was a long time ago when we found them. I think your grandmother put them back into storage."

"Do you think you can find them?"

David scratches his head, "I could take a look."

"If you find them, do you think you could bring them to Cardiff?"

"I think I could. Are you still living in the same flat?"

"Well, no," Ianto sighs. "It's a long story, but I'll explain once you get here."

"Are you okay, son?"

"I think I will be."

"I'll call you back as soon as I find what you're after," David tells him.

"Thank you," Ianto says gratefully. "It'll be good to see you."

The Welshman hangs up and scrambles to the main room of the hub where Tosh and Rory are talking.

"Toshiko, would you kindly translate the engraving in this locket?" Ianto asks.

She takes the piece of jewelry and immediately runs a scan. "Shouldn't take too long."

When the results pop onto the screen, Ianto asks nervously, "What does it say?"

"It translates as 'Fairweather Home of the Disconnected,'" Tosh replies.

"What?" Ianto says as he reads the screen, but he discovers that she is translating from the language of Rory's species. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I have no idea," Rory says.

Jack enters the main hub and says, "Ianto, I need you to help me look for something in the archives."

"Just wait, Jack. I'm expecting an important phone call," Ianto replies.

"I want to have the machine ready in case your idea doesn't pan out."

Ianto looks at Rory and sighs, "Fine."

"Rory, you wait here, but Tosh why don't you go home or spend time with Andy."

"Andy is on patrol today," Tosh replies. "I can stay."

"Fine. Then, see if Owen needs any help," Jack mutters.

xxxx

As Jack and Ianto look for the device that will turn Rory into a human, the Welshman's mobile rings.

"Hello? Ianto?" David says on the other end. "I found what you were looking for."

"Thank you so much," the young man says. "Now, do the items have any engravings on them?"

"Yes, but I think it might as well be in Farsi because I can't read what it says."

"And the watches, do they have what looks like a mother-of-pearl inlay on the faces?" Ianto eagerly inquires.

"Yes, they do."

Ianto takes a deep breath as he process all the information. He tries not to sound too excited. "That's exactly what I was hoping you'd say."

"I can be in Cardiff in thirty minutes, or so, depending on how long it takes for your grandmother to get ready. You know how women are."

"That would be great, Granddad. I'll send you an address and directions where you can meet me." When he hangs up, Ianto looks at his boyfriend and says with an endearingly awkward smile, "Er, Jack…Good news! You get to meet more of my family today."

xxxx

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Marianne Goodall asks her husband as they approach the tourist office.

David adjusts his thick bifocal glasses and reads the directions that his grandson e-mailed him. "That's what Ianto told me."

"You could have worn a different shirt. That one is so shabby," the old woman nags.

"I'm an old man. Who is going to care?" the old man snaps back.

They reluctantly enters the tourist office, wondering why their grandson has told them to come, but when David sees Ianto standing in front of him in his crisp suit, the elderly man smiles and gives him a hug.

"Look at you, you handsome devil!" the grandfather exclaims.

Marianne pushes him away and pinches the younger man's cheeks. "Look at that face. Oh, I could eat you up." She pulls him close and covers his cheeks with sloppy kisses.

Ianto rolls his eyes and says, "Hello, Granddad. Gran, you look lovely. I'd like you to meet my boss, Captain Jack Harkness. Jack, this is my grandfather, David Goodall and my grandmother, Marianne."

"Pleased to meet you, sir." the Captain says, extending his hand.

"The pleasure is all mine," David says with a formal nod of his head.

Marianne giggles like a schoolgirl, "The pleasure is all _mine_, Captain. Yes, indeed."

"Will you behave yourself?" David whispers to his wife.

Ianto clears his throat and proceeds to stammer out an explanation. "Granddad, Gran, you are probably wondering why I asked you to meet me here…this is where I work. Well, just one of the rooms, actually… the rest of the building is behind a secret entrance, which is over there... Er, but first you should know that this is not really a tourist office, and I'm not really a receptionist. You see, what I do is, um… I actually…"

Jack finishes for him. "He catches aliens with me."

"Aliens?" David says with a howl of laughter.

The Captain pushes the button to open the door. "Sir, madam, if you'll follow me."

xxxx

As they enter through the cog door, Ianto's grandparents look around in shock.

"We never dreamed!" Marianne exclaims.

Ianto takes them to the rest of the team. "These are my co-workers, Gwen, Owen and Tosh. And this is our consultant, Rory. Granddad, if you'll hand the items to Tosh, she will take care of the analysis."

David hands over the trinket box, the necklace and the flask over to the Japanese woman. "Do you really catch aliens?" he asks.

"Yes, we do," Tosh says with a smile.

"Would you like a cup of tea?" Gwen offers.

"I think that we need something stronger, but that'll do," Marianne says. "Thank you, dear."

Gwen runs off the kitchen to prepare some snacks for the visitors.

"How long have you had these items?" Tosh asks.

"Don't really know," Marianne replies. "They were just there when I was doing some spring cleaning. I suppose I could have gotten them in a boot sale or an antique store, but I have no recollection of purchasing those."

"Have you ever tried to open them?" Jack asks.

David takes a moment to think back, "Once, I suppose…"

"Oh, you mostly just ignored them. I kept meaning to get them appraised, but the mind slips, other chores need doing, that sort of thing," his wife says.

"There's definitely a life force inside them," Tosh reports. "And the engravings match the locket that Ianto has."

Rory laughs and shouts, "This is incredible!" She runs to the elderly couple and kisses them both on the cheek.

Marianne is a bit shocked, but David clearly enjoys it and kisses her back. Jack hands the flask to Rory who hands it to the elderly man.

"Open it," the engineer says. "Everyone else, stand back."

When the grandfather opens it, a small light wafts from the inside and slowly enters the man's nose.

"That's it?" Rory says. "My spark was more lively than that."

David clutches onto his wife and gasps as his memory comes back to him. He looks at his fellow alien and mutters still in a daze, "Your spark is probably stronger. Oh, what a life. What a long time it's been."

Marianne shouts at her husband. "Are you all right? David?"

"I'm fine," he replies. "It's just… my goodness, it all comes back to you at once. I need to sit down."

Ianto and Jack help the older man to the couch.

"What is going on?" Marianne says.

"Your husband just got his identity back," Jack says. "He's an alien, but in human form. That light is giving him his memory back and reshaping his DNA back to its original form. Cool, huh?"

Mrs. Goodall shakes her head in sheer disbelief. "Ianto, first you tell me that you catch aliens. Then you bring me into this place. Then, you do _that_ to your grandfather who is supposedly an alien. What other surprises are you planning? What else haven't you told us?"

"First, we're planning to rewire my mother's brain to functioning form," Ianto replies.

"Oh, is that all?" Marianne scoffs.

"Second, I live here. I moved in last month. We're building a small flat in some of the storage rooms"

"Really? We? Who else is in this 'we?'"

"That's the third thing. I live here with Jack because I am in love with him, and he is my boyfriend."

"What?" Marianne shrieks. "You're a… you're a… poof! Do you want to kill me? Is that what your trying to do?"

Gwen walks into the room carrying a tea service and asks, "What did I miss?"

"Ianto just told his grandmother that he's gay," Tosh answers.

"Humans and their close-minded ways," David mutters.

"Preaching to the choir," Jack says.

"On our planet, marriage is inclusive of all sexual orientation. Has been for eons," David says. "Wait, I remember my home. Oh, is it time to go back?"

"Go back where?" Marianne says after having run out of breath.

"She should probably begin her transition," David suggests. "No point in having only one of us be who we really are. Hand me the trinket box."

"Right," Ianto says.

Mr. Goodall opens it and allows the spark to enter his wife's body.

"Seriously, why was my spark so flashy?" Rory says.

"Hers is an institutional spark, not a natural spark like yours," David explains. "Of course, I'm assuming that yours was passed onto you by your father."

"Yes, sir," Rory replies.

David continues, "She's disconnected. On my planet, that is what we called children who received their spark from a machine because they lacked a father figure. Orphans, those abandoned at birth or those who simply never knew their fathers all end up at Fairweather."

"Are you saying that my mother was adopted?" Ianto asks.

"Yes, and your Aunt Lydia, too," he replies.

"Mr. Goodall," Jack says. "I have to ask. What are you doing here?"

"Research," Marianne answers, still a bit in a daze. She grasps her grandson's hand and says, "Oh my! What a rush of memories."

"What sort of research?" Jack asks.

"We were sent here to learn about the people of Earth," David replies. He pauses to look at his glowing hands. "Oh my, this is going to be a problem. Hand me my wristwatch."

Owen gives it to him and begins taking energy readings.

"Now where is that tea?" Mr. Goodall asks.

"Granddad?"

"Yes, Ianto?"

"Will you please explain things?"

"Can't a man have a bit of time to get his bearings? Transitions aren't easy, you know."

"You said it, mister," Rory remarks.

"And where is Lillian?" Marianne inquires. "You said something about rewiring her brain?"

* * *

_A/N: I guess I always wanted Rory and Ianto to be connected from the first moment they met. If you have comments or flames, I'd like to read them._


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

After a period of time to adjust and after checking up on a sleeping Lillian, the team plus the aliens move into the boardroom.

"Sorry about calling you a poof, but you must understand that was the human speaking," Marianne says. "Your boyfriend is very handsome and very intelligent."

Ianto smiles at the woman who was once quite dowdy. Now that she knows who she is, she has a regal air about her. With a shy voice, he says to her, "I accept your apology, and thank you, Gran. May I call you, Gran?"

"Of course you may. That's who I am," she says. "And Captain, I hope you realize what a wonderful man you're with."

Jack responds quickly. "You bet I do."

"Mr. Goodall," Gwen says. "When you say that you were here for research purposes, do you mean that your species were planning to come here and invade?"

Marianne looks at Gwen as if she implied that Light Keepers eat babies for breakfast. "Don't be vulgar, young lady," she snaps. "Invasions are for lesser species."

"Our old alliances were beginning to show signs of strain," David begins.

"Greed is a more appropriate word," Marianne interjects.

"So we were sent to learn as much about your planet and its cultures as possible in order to determine if Earth would make a good trade partner and ally," Mr. Goodall explains.

Mrs. Goodall speaks to Gwen as if she was speaking to a child. "You see, we are a pragmatic race, and after disastrous results in the past, we don't enter into agreements to lightly. Our leaders want to be sure that humans would not misuse our technology and that we could rely on your planet in times of need."

David adds, "We came to live amongst you and have the human experience so that we could give an authentic report. As humans, we would understand your desires, your fears, your motivations, etcetera. Those who sent us were supposed to come for us at the turn of the new millennium. I wonder what the delay is."

"Your planet was invaded, and those who were evacuated were scattered," Jack says.

"But, they will come for us," Marianne insists.

"No they won't," David says somberly. "We're disconnected. Who is going to return for a handful of orphans? Anyway only a handful knew we were here."

"They'd come for her," his wife says with a nod to Rory.

"Why did you chose to take this mission?" Ianto asks.

Marianne reaches out and pats his hand. "When I was recruited, I never had a real home nor a real family - none of us had that. That is what this project had to offer us. It may have not been a true family connected by light and blood, but when we had our memories wiped, all we knew was each other. We became the Goodalls because that's who we thought we were. And we loved you and our daughters as if you were our very own. Those feelings are still with me."

"That's all that matters," Jack says as he winks at Rory.

"Still would have been nice to see the place where we grew up once more," David muses.

"Now about Lillian," Marianne says. "What can we do to help her?"

"She needs to be re-energized," Jack says. "For that we need the third spark."

"But that belongs to someone else," Rory protests. "Lydia should have a choice in the matter."

"I'd offer you mine, but I'm afraid it might not be strong enough," David says.

"Then, we use mine," Rory offers.

"No!" Owen exclaims.

"That would be asking too much," Ianto adds.

"But mine is the strongest. I've already had a full transition, and I should have the right to choose what I do with my light," Rory insists.

"What about us?" Owen says.

"I'll still be here," she replies.

"But you won't be you," the doctor says.

"She'll regain her spark once Lillian is fine," Jack tells him.

"It took Rory three full months to transition. Is Lillian going to take that long?" Owen asks.

The Captain can only offer him these words: "It is Rory's choice."

"I just want to help," Rory says in a voice barely above a whisper.

"I know you want to do this for Ianto, but I can't lose you," Owen says with tears coming to his eyes. He knows that everyone is watching, but he doesn't care. "I lost Diane. I lost Katie. I almost gave up on having a normal relationship, but then you came into my life and wore me down with your tenacity. Now, you are my first thought in the morning. Yours is the last voice I want to hear before I go to sleep at night. And when the scum of the universe washes up on Cardiff, I can look into your eyes and know that there is hope out there, too."

"There is another option, my dear," Marianne says. "We would have brought it up sooner, but then there was all of that arguing. And to be honest, it was worth keeping my mouth shut just to hear that romantic speech."

"Rory," David says gently, "How would you like to adopt Lillian? She has never had the benefit of anyone's spark. You would connect her to your family, and I know she will be better off for it."

"I could do that?" Rory asks.

"We remove her old spark so that she is a blank slate, and you bestow her with your light, just as if she was reborn," Mr. Goodall replies. "You'd be like her father."

"All right," Rory says.

"She won't remember anything from your planet," Ianto comments. "All her childhood memories... gone."

"But she will still remember you and her life on earth before the crash. That memory is stored in another part of her brain that won't be affected at all by the procedure," David replies.

"What about after the crash?" Ianto asks. "Will she be able to recognize me once she's alert again?"

"I don't know," Marianne says. "I wish I could tell you."

xxxx

In the autopsy room, Jack and Owen make the preparations. Jack hauls out the spark extractor and places Lillian's old locket in the receiving capsule while Owen places a mask over her mouth. After adjusting the settings, Jack flips the switch, and as the machine sucks out the old light, the patient's eyes open wide and her body becomes rigid. Her blood pressure skyrockets as a small light no bigger than a dying ember leaves her body and goes into the mask and through the machine until it finds its home in the locket. The patient eyes shut once again, and Jack takes the locket and snuffs out the old light.

"Now," David says quietly as he holds onto his wife's hand.

Rory steps forward and takes Lillian's hand. Like her father did with her the moment after she was born, she gives Lillian the gift of joy and love. They all watch the scan of the patient's brain as the synapses begin to fire, and the light begins to settle in its place along the amylgada and forms the brain section that separates the two species. Soon, new paths slowly grow from that spot like vines creeping along a structure.

"It's a miracle," Gwen says.

"It's biology," Jack muses. "It's millenniums of evolution that rewards the strongest of a species. But yes, it is impressive."

"What happens now?" Ianto asks_._

"We wait," Marianne replies. "I'll put on some coffee."

"The machine is tricky," Ianto says. "I could show you…" But his voice trails off when he meets his grandmother's raised eyebrow.

"Don't patronize me," she says firmly. "I think I can make coffee on my own. Your place is by Lillian's side, but I will accept Gwen's help."

"Yes, ma'am," she murmurs. The former police woman follows the elder woman like a puppy or a submissive maid.

"I like her. I should have met her months ago," Jack whispers in his lover's ear.

"Back when we were a couple of poofs?" Ianto asks.

Jack replies with a snicker and a nibble on Ianto's ear. He is suddenly aware that everyone else has witnessed this small moment of intimacy. "What? Can't a man show just a bit of affection?"

Tosh and Rory both giggle.

"I think I'll have a walk outside along the bay," David says with a warm smile for his grandson. He turns to Toshiko and asks, "You wouldn't mind keeping an old man company?"

The computer expert takes his arm and replies, "Actually, I think I'd like that."

"So if Rory and I get married," Owen says to Ianto, "I reckon that would make you my grandson. Does that mean I can boss you around?"

"Oh, you mean more than your already do?" the Welshman snaps back.

"Absolutely not," Rory answers. "Grandparents coddle and spoil their grandchildren."

"So if you marry her, you're going to have to be nicer to me," Ianto says.

"Shit. You and your bleeding heart," Owen mutters to Rory.

xxxx

Outside, the elder man and the young woman enjoy the cool crisp breeze coming in from the water and the glow from the setting sun.

"It all looks so different now," David comments. "All these people running about filled with the minutiae of daily life. It makes you wonder if they ever stop and contemplate their place in the universe. I know that I rarely did as a human."

"Mr. Goodall, after all of your research, would you have given the Earth a favorable report?" Tosh asks.

"It doesn't matter now, does it?" he replies.

"I'd still like to know."

"Earth is a mixed bag, isn't it? I liked your Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Ghandi. They were both decent fellows with sound principles, but so many of your other leaders were so corrupt and so much racism. I wonder how the lot of humanity would react if they knew who I really am."

"What about your species?" Tosh asks. "From hearing your speak earlier, it sounds like you were treated like second class citizens on your planet."

"Well, we can't all be doctors and engineers, and it's not like the disconnected were forced to live in the slums or a ghetto."

"What did you do?"

"I was an archivist, and I'll have you know that I was known for my superior memory," Mr. Goodall proudly states.

"So you weren't even a scientist or an anthropologist?"

"No. None of us were. We were recruited because we could blend in the background and were talented at gathering and sorting through information."

_Just like Ianto,_Tosh thinks to herself. She turns to David and says, "With all due respect, your planet doesn't seem to be much better if they abandoned four orphans on a potentially dangerous planet. Jack always says that your species are snobs."

"But our species is better than most. We are more intelligent. We have better technology. We could also render the technology of our enemies useless with a push of a button if we wanted to."

"You could do that?" Toshiko asks in awe.

"Just because we can doesn't always mean we should," David answers. "And that little trick only gave us enough time to apply evasive maneuvers before our enemies struck back with brute force. I suppose our way was on the outs anyway. Perhaps we were just too proud of ourselves."

"Maybe your species is still out there - finding a new home and rebuilding," Toshiko says.

"Maybe," David replies.

"Sometimes, I wonder if humanity is worth saving myself," the computer expert admits.

"Is there someone special in your life?"

"Sort of," she replies with a shy smile. "He's a police officer, but he doesn't know what I do."

"Secrets. That can make life difficult," David says. "But is he worth saving?"

"Of course he is."

"What about your family?"

Tosh thinks about her own mother, and what she sacrificed for her. "I would give my life for them."

"There's your answer," David man tells her. "I'm suddenly in the mood for some chocolate. I tell you we would have gladly offered you the secrets of our teleportation devices in exchange for the Cadbury corporation. There's nothing as delicious as a piece of milk chocolate where I'm from."

xxxx

One coffee break and a Chinese dinner later, Jack sends Tosh and Gwen home. Worried about their safety while they are still in the early stages of their transitions, Ianto arranges for his grandparents to stay at a near-by hotel. Lillian is still unconscious, but her brain continues to repair itself and her vitals grow stronger. Ianto sits next to her in the medical exam room.

Jack bounces down the steps and reports, "I've fed Myfanwy, and Rory has just finished feeding the Weevils. You know, they've really taken to her. Janet even likes having her chin scratched. It's like she's Rory's bitch."

"Could Rory be the Weevil Whisperer?" Ianto wonders.

"She's good with her hands," Jack says. "Just like her father."

The younger man raises an eyebrow, "Did you ever…?"

"Ana Lucia was hot, and Hector had this incredible charm."

"I see."

"I wanted to. I even offered a three-way, but no," Jack says. "They only had eyes for each other. Light Keepers mate for life. But you should know."

"I am still human," Ianto reminds him. "I'm merely a serial monogamist."

"Then why is it that every time I look in your eyes, I see a spark?"

"Awww," the master snarker says sarcastically.

"Hey, that was a good line."

"But you have to admit that was a wee bit saccharine."

"A bit," Jack admits. "But you love it."

"A bit," Ianto admits. He gazes into the Captain's eyes and tells him, "Thank you for this. Thank you for having faith in my mother."

"You don't have to thank me. I'm just glad that you get the second chance with your mother that I never did."

"Hey, if you're with me, you get the whole package, my entire family included. Do you think you can handle that?"

Jack smiles and kisses Ianto's hand. "Your grandmother looks like she is a force to be reckoned with, but I think I can."

xxxx

As she waters and feeds the plants in the greenhouse, Rory smirks at Owen.

"What?" he asks defensively.

"You love me," she giggles.

"What?" Owen exclaims in mock denial.

"You are so in love with me," she says. "You said as much in your wonderful speech. All that was missing was those three little words."

"Which aren't exactly easy to say," Owen points out.

"You really are worried about losing me."

"Yeah, I am," he confesses. "I could be killed tomorrow by an alien death ray or mauled by a Weevil. We have to make every moment count."

"I know."

"Would you have allowed Jack to take away your memory again?" Owen asks.

She looks at the sadness in his eyes, but she will not lie to him. "Yes."

Owen takes a deep breath, but is unable to hide his hurt feelings. "I thought so."

"But let's just be glad that it didn't come to that," Rory says as she touches his face.

He nods and places his hands on Rory's hips. "You know if you had, I would have been angry, but I would have understood."

"Would you have forgiven me?"

"Let's be glad that we'll never know," Owen replies.

Jack tears into the room and interrupts them, "Owen, she's waking up."

xxxx

In the autopsy room, Lillian is murmurs about light, static and circuits while Owen checks her vitals. "It looks good. Ianto, talk to her."

"How are you mum?"

"Ianto?" Mrs. Jones whispers. She looks at him and blinks several times to adjust her eyes. "Where's my little boy?"

"It's me, mum. It's Ianto."

Lillian recoils in fear, but after looking into her son's blue eyes, she realizes that he's telling the truth. "Where's here?" she asks.

"You're safe," Ianto replies, unable to hold back his tears. "You're in a place where they can fix you. This is where I work, mum."

"I feel…" she pauses to find the right word. "Dizzy. That noise in my head."

"It will go away in a bit," he assures her.

"Where's your father?" Lillian asks. "It's been so long…I was driving…"

Ianto can feel his heart break as he recalls that he never told his mother that her husband was dead, "I'll explain later, but you need your rest right now so you can get stronger. Mum, this is Dr. Harper, and he is going to examine you. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she replies. "I do."

Ianto begins to weep as he begins to feel so many different emotions all at once. He gets up and reaches for Jack's hand.

Lillian takes one look at the Captain and says, "You and my son…"

"Yeah," Jack answers.

"That face… I've seen it before," Lillian says sleepily.

"All right, Mrs. Jones," Owen says. "That's enough for now."

But she has one more question: "Doctor, what is going on? I hear this noise and I can see these lights in my head."

"You are becoming exactly who you were meant to be," Owen replies.

"You'll get used to it; you'll learn to control it," Rory assures her. "I promise. Just give it time."

"So far, so good," Jack whispers in Ianto's ear.

"Well, yes, but how do I tell her that her husband is dead? How do I explain where she's been" Ianto whispers back.

"Tomorrow, Ianto," the Captain replies. "We'll take this one step at a time."

* * *

A/N: In case you were wondering, I did choose the name Goodall after the primatologist and Leakey follower, Jane Goodall, who spent her life observing the chimpanzees of Africa.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Dressed in his favorite suit, Ianto Jones carries a sliver tray laden with his mother's breakfast. Trying to hold himself together, he enters the hospital-like room of the hub usually reserved for quarantined victims of alien diseases or toxins. His mother sits on the bed and plays with a small lamp making it turn on and off with her new abilities.

"Look what I can do, and it's so easy," Lillian says, her face practically beaming. "Of course, it's a simple circuit - you know, only one function. On and off. I'm not ready to move onto blenders or radios yet."

As he sets the tray on the bedside table, he says, "It still is impressive. Good morning, mum."

"Good morning, Ianto," she replies with a warm smile.

The young man notices the copy of _The Code of the Woosters _lying on the bed. "You know, I gave Jack that book when he was sick."

"Yes, he mentioned it."

Ianto smiles when he thinks that he gave his boyfriend this very book while he was in that same bed. "He seems to be under the impression that Jeeves and Wooster are… you know, together," Ianto says. "Of course, now that I do think about it, Jeeves is utterly devoted to this foolish man whilst it appears that Bertie doesn't have the slightest interest in woman."

"I have to admit, I am muddling through the book, but when I think that just yesterday I was functionally illiterate, I have reason to hope. So yay for me."

To hear his mother form complete sentences puts a huge grin on Ianto's face, although that last one seemed odd coming from his mother. It seemed more like something Rory would say. "You are looking much better. How's your head?"

"Well, the noises stopped… finally. Every now and then I still get these flashes."

"Must be the static electricity the sheets. I suppose now that you are sensitive to all electrical currents, I should really get you a nicer set of cotton -"

"It's not the sheets, Ianto. It's bits and pieces of the years since the accident. That hospital, the doctors, you growing up, your father…"

The Welshman immediately tenses up and looks away from his mother, "We didn't know what you wanted for breakfast, so we made you a bit of everything."

Lillian senses that something is wrong, so she chooses to drop the subject, "It looks wonderful. And pancakes!"

"Actually, Jack made those. It's the one recipe that he's managed to master. I made the frittata," Ianto says proudly.

Lillian takes one bite and closes her eyes with delight, but when she opens them again, she starts to get teary-eyed.

"Mum, what's wrong?"

"I missed you growing up, Ianto. I should have been there to teach you to cook. I should have been there to make a big fuss over birthdays and Christmases. Look at you, Ianto. You're so pale and thin. Do you eat your vegetables?"

"Does tomato sauce on pizza count?" Ianto asks.

"I see I didn't miss the smart arse years," Lillian jokes.

"No, my endless capacity for sarcasm has been hard-wired into my personality. Just ask Owen."

Lillian chuckles. "I will. I intend to ask all your co-workers about you so they can tell me what a wonderful man you are. You probably don't even need me anymore."

"That's not true," Ianto assures her. "I still need you. So if you wouldn't mind having something to eat so that you can keep your energy levels up…"

"I love you, Ianto," she says as she takes his hand.

The Welshman kisses her forehead as replies, "You have no idea how happy I am to hear that. I love you, too, Mum."

xxxx

The rest of the morning is busy for the Torchwood team. Owen continues to monitor Lillian's progress and performs physical examinations of David and Marianne. Afterwards, the Goodalls answer as many questions as they can about being a Light Keeper. Ianto takes care of his morning duties. Jack and Tosh investigate a call about an alien artifact that washed up from the bay. Gwen spends her morning buying new clothes for Lillian.

"Brought you a coffee," Ianto says to Owen who is sitting in his lab working on a preliminary report.

"Thank you, son," the doctor replies.

"You're not officially part of the family yet," Ianto man reminds him.

"Yet?" Owen says with a smirk, but when he stops to consider the possibility, the idea of marriage is still scary, but not so implausible. He can only imagine the wedding dress that Rory would choose. She'd most certainly look like a complete meringue but burrowing under all of the layers on the wedding night would-

"Well?" Ianto says, nodding at the scans.

Owen snaps back to reality. "Your grandparents are fine. They're adjusting better than I expected to their alien abilities."

"What about my mother?"

"She's never gonna reach her full potential, but her brain is learning to compensate for that damage and rewiring itself so that it can access that region in a new way. I reckon she'll never be as clever as an average Light Keeper, but she'll be about as intelligent as the average human being."

Ianto gives the doctor a giant bear hug and says, "Thank you."

"Oi, we're not family yet." Owen complains as he pushes the Welshman away.

"There's that word again and all that those three small letters imply," Ianto teases.

"Don't you have some desk to bend over, tea boy?" Owen snaps back.

"No, Mr. Big isn't back yet, but that reminds me. We are running low on lube. Jack is absolutely insatiable at times, but luckily I have good stamina, if I do say so myself. Just the other day-"

"I'm telling your mum is that she needs to wash your mouth out with soap," the doctor warns.

Knowing that Owen will never mention this conversation to Lillian, Ianto says, "Go ahead. I dare you."

"All right, boys," Gwen says in her best schoolteacher's voice. "Break it up!" She hands over the bags to Ianto, and tells him, "I hope she likes what I got her."

"I think she'll be glad to change into something that doesn't scream _One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest_," Owen replies.

With a straight face, Ianto casually slaps the doctor upside the head and says, "Thank you, Gwen."

"Not a problem. Now go spend time with Lillian," she orders.

"Yes, ma'am. Oh, and if you'll leave the receipt on Jack's desk, I'll take care of it later."

"I can handle it," Gwen assures him.

Ianto pauses to consider the thought of someone else handling his precious books and possibly disrupting his system, but he lets the thought go. He decides that today is a good day. "Fine."

Once Ianto and Gwen run off to complete their tasks, Owen sits at his desk for a small break and googles vacation spots, imagining how Rory would look in a tiny bikini when his mobile rings.

"Hello," he says absent-mindedly.

"Hello, brother," the voice on the other end says.

"Colin?" Owen asks, sitting up and giving him his full attention.

"Yeah, it's me. I tried your mobile yesterday, but I couldn't manage to get a hold of you."

"I was busy," Owen insists. "I had an emergency at work."

"Of course. I know that you're an important doctor, but you could at least check voice mail, you wanker." Colin teases affectionately.

"What do you want, you git?" the older brother says, shooting back with the same love.

"Mother's been on the warpath since she got back from Cardiff. She's been going on and on about how Owen's weirdo girlfriend humiliated her, how she thinks she's all high and mighty because she comes from money, but the truth is she's just a charity case that got lucky that her adoptive parents went and died."

"Fuck," Owen mutters. "You don't believe that do you, Colin?"

"I know her well, brother. I know how she can blow things way out of proportion. So tell me, is Dr. Aurora Templeton really bossy?"

Owen chuckles, "Yeah, but sometimes in a good way."

"Good to know that someone is around to keep you in line," Colin jokes.

"She certainly does that."

"You sound happy."

Owen smiles and picks up the photograph of Rory dressed in an Arsenal shirt. Being a Chelsea fan herself, she has a fake smile plastered on her lips, but she wore the shirt just for him. "Yeah, I am," he replies.

"Good for you," Colin says. "We still getting mum a joint birthday gift?"

"Yeah, we are."

"What do you think we should get her, then?" the younger brother asks.

Owen looks at his computer, "How about a trip?"

"You're fucking kidding me? She insults your girlfriend, and you want to send on a holiday? You should just tell her to fuck off."

"Maybe, but do you think she wouldn't be so angry if she had one less regret in her life?" Owen replies. "Maybe what she needs is a change in scenery to change her perspective."

"They say travel broadens the mind. If we sign Aurora's name on the card, you think Mum will go easy on her?" Colin asks.

"Rory wouldn't go for that. This trip is from her two useless sons who think that they are better than she is."

"Money's tight right now…"

"You pay what you can," Owen insists. "I've got it covered."

"Cheers." Colin says. "I have to run. Got a client coming in. You send me an e-mail with more information."

"Thanks for calling, brother," Owen says.

"Yeah, well, just wanted to let you know how things are here," he replies. "Bye."

xxxx

Later that day, Ianto enters his mother's room again. She is now dressed in the clothes that Gwen has bought her.

"Tell me what you think," she tells him as she twirls around in a skirt with a matching jacket.

"Very smart," Ianto replies.

"It feels a bit strange. I suppose I've gotten used to living in jim-jams and a dressing gown, but I guess I can't away with that in polite society. Although I confess that this is slimming."

"I estimated your measurements and wrote them down for Gwen."

Lillian chuckles, "Just like your father. He always had a good eye."

"How about a tour of the hub? I could show you where I work. Or if you'd rather, I could take you out and show you the city. You're going to have to get adjusted to so many different changes."

"He's moved on, hasn't he?" Lillian asks.

"Who?"

"Your father. Can't say I blame him. What else is he going to do with a wife who was until recently a complete nutter?"

Ianto stands frozen with the proverbial deer-in-headlights look. He wonders what the truth might do to her while she's still fragile, but he can't let her keep thinking that she's been abandoned by her husband. "Mum, there's something I have to tell you about Dad."

"Is he remarried? Does he have a wife and kids?"

"No, mum. After the accident, he worked very hard to take care of me. He visited you as often as he could, and he kept the shop going… That was his life - a never-ending stream of activity that was intended to keep his sadness at bay. We all tried to tell him that he worked too hard and that he should take time for himself…He didn't listen… He… he died ten years ago of a heart attack."

Lillian begins to cry, but she is adamant, "I want to see his grave."

Ianto nods and escorts her out of the room.

On the way out, Jack looks up from the alien device he and Tosh found and sees mother and son headed for the cog door.

Tosh sees them too and tells Jack, "Go ahead. I can sort this out on my own."

The Captain leans over and kisses Tosh's head before meeting Ianto and his mother at the entrance.

xxxx

Lillian, Ianto and Jack arrive at the cemetery with David and Marianne and navigate through the headstones to find the one that belongs to Dylan Jones.

"He would have appreciated the simple and elegant headstone," Lillian says to her son. She touches her fingers to her lips and touches his name. "You always used to say that you were no good without me. Why didn't you just forget me and move on? It would have broken my heart to see you with someone else, but at least you'd still be alive."

As Mrs. Jones clears away the weeds from the lot, she begins to gasp as the tears begin to flow freely. Ianto kneels down next to the mother and offers his handkerchief, and for the first time, they mourn him together.

Ianto remembers the anger he felt after the death of his father. It was deep rage against a situation that was clearly unfair, but there was no one to blame so he took it out on his uncle and aunt who took him in, his teachers, his friends - anyone who told him that time would heal all wounds or to be strong. And now, as he clears away the dried up flowers and leaves from his father's grave, as he watches Jack lean over and offer Lillian a fresh bouquet of roses, he finally makes peace with his father's death and himself. He chooses to accept the randomness of the universe because it brought him to his lover who led to Rory who made the transformation of his mother possible, giving her a fresh start. He will however continue to miss the man who tried to be there for his son no matter what.

Once the grave is clean the fresh flowers are put in their place, Ianto helps his mother to her feet and hugs her. Over her shoulder, he catches a glimpse of Jack's face. The Captain's eyes are full of love and sympathy.

xxxx

From the cemetery, Jack takes Ianto and his family back to Rory's house where he shows Lillian the guest room. As the Captain and Mrs. Jones unpack her clothes, Lillian stumbles and sinks on the bed. She blinks several times as she tries to regain her bearings while Jack sits next to her and hold her upright.

"Just a tiny dizzy spell, that's all," she assures the Captain.

"It's emotional overload. You've had a busy day. Perhaps you should lie down," Jack says warmly.

He helps Lillian on the bed, but since she refuses the lie down, he props her up on a stack of pillows.

"Do you want me to call Ianto?" Jack asks.

"Actually, I wanted to speak to you, Captain Harkness. I wanted to let you know that I appreciate what you've done for me."

"You don't have to thank me."

"And I wanted to let you know that I remember where I've seen your face," she says warmly. "I remember the child - dark hair, curious eyes, golden skin. The first time I saw her in the library where I worked, she was with her parents. She came up to me and asked if I could help her find a book on radio repair. When I showed her the children's section, she asked me if I was patronizing her. But then, she saw the Curious George book on display, and she snatched it up. I saw her several times after that, usually with her mother who looked exotic, and the little girl always wanted to find books on electricity. Anatomy was one of her favorites as well. But then I saw her with you in those military clothes just like the ones you have on right now. I remember your face because she was always well-behaved when she was with her mum and dad, but with you… she had you wrapped around her finger, and she knew it. She dragged you wherever she pleased and made you carry all her books."

Jack chuckles as he recalls a five-year-old Rory bossing him around the library, telling him that she didn't want that book but the one next to it. "I suppose I'm no good with kids, but I loved her all the same."

"Isn't it strange that I can remember that, but I can't remember what I got Ianto's first birthday? I can't remember the inside of Dylan's shop."

"You're connected to Rory now in a profound way, but you will remember all of those other memories as your brain repairs itself."

"That's good to know," Lillian replies. "Where are her parents?"

"Rory's parents are dead," he answers. No matter how many years have passed, that memory still stings.

"Oh. Well, you haven't aged. What's your secret?"

"Botox," the Captain jokes.

Lillian looks at him with a blank expression on her face. "What?"

"That's right you don't know about all of that stuff. I'm an impossible man."

"Where is your family?" she asks.

"Gone," he replies.

"What a strange family we make. We're merely a collection of orphans."

"That's why we need each other. That's why we'll stick together," Jack tells her. "Does that mean that I can call you 'Mum.'"

"Would you like that?" Lillian says with a smile.

"Very much. What about you?"

"I'd like that very much as well."

Ianto quietly knocks before entering the room, and says, "After refusing all offers of ordering food and after going through all of the contents of Rory's pantry and refrigerator, Gran has begun cooking dinner, and she insists on Jack's presence. In her opinion, it's high time he's learned to cook a proper meal."

Jack sighs and comments, "Luckily the sprinkler systems are up to code."

As he makes his way down the stairs, Rory is just getting home.

"Sorry I'm late," she says to him as she places her jacket in her closet. "Look at me, already I'm a neglectful parent."

"What happened?" Jack inquires.

"UNIT happened. Apparently they believe that they can pick me up whenever they want, toss me into a jeep and drag me to wherever they please so I can identify alien tech for them."

"What was it?"

Rory holds up her left hand and shows off her fingernails that have been painted a metallic aqua color. "It was a robot manicurist. Before they knew what it was, they were all terrified that it was going to cut off their hands, but it's totally okay if the alien gets mutilated."

"I'll speak to the General," Jack tells her.

"Do, and tell him that if he can't show more consideration to a British citizen, like making an appointment through the proper channels, I'm telling his wife about the collection of alien porn on his computer."

"Really? I'm sure it was there for research purposes."

"That man may look prim and proper, but mark my words, he's kinda freaky."

"It's always the quiet ones," Jack muses.

"But I did get you this," Rory says as she hands him a flash drive with UNIT information.

"You are rotten," Jack says with a huge grin.

"I'll have you know, there is no bumping and grinding or genital engulfing on that thing, but I got some secret stuff about Project Gloomstown," Rory tells him.

"Why they let you within ten paces of their computers, I'll never know," the Captain says in disbelief.

"So how was your day?" she asks cheerfully.

"Lillian knows the truth about her husband."

"Oh." She doesn't have to say it, but Jack knows that his niece is thinking about the man she loves and the day she will lose him.

"Owen is in the study with David," he whispers to her.

Jack watches her go into the study and wrap her arms around the doctor who literally sweeps her off her feet.

Ianto sneaks up behind the Captain and snakes his arms around his waist. Jack leans back so the Welshman can kiss him.

"She just fell asleep. She's absolutely drained," the younger man murmurs into his boyfriend's ear.

"You are wonderful with her," Jack whispers back.

"Luckily, I have you by my side. However, I can't help thinking that I've set her recovery back."

"She wanted to know the truth."

"I broke her heart."

"It would have hurt more if you had told her much later," Jack reasons.

Ianto holds on tighter. "You're right. I know you're right."

The Captain can hear a "but" lingering in the air. Neither man chooses to pursue it.

"I bet she's proud of the man you are," Jack says. "Intelligent, polite, resourceful…"

"Master of the stun gun," Ianto adds.

Jack chuckles, but his boyfriend doesn't join him. "I can never tell her what I really do," the young man says thoughtfully.

"The less she knows about Torchwood, the better off she'll be. Lillian's not like Rory. Rory is smarter, more powerful. Having all of those contacts in the military and scientific community is an asset to us."

"I just don't want my mother to worry." Ianto pulls away and sits on the arm of Rory's couch. "And I'd like to ask you something."

"Whatever you want," Jack replies as he strokes the younger man's hair.

"When I die, will you look after her? What I mean is… will you watch over her and make sure she's all right?"

"I will watch over her. She's family."

"Thank you," Ianto says as he wipes away a tear.

Trying to lighten the mood, Jack tells him. "Rory got kidnapped by UNIT today, but she did do some spying for me and managed to walk away with some pretty tasty gossip, too. And get this, Tosh asked for Friday off."

"Did she? She never asks for personal days." Ianto says, raising an eyebrow. "What an odd world we're living in. My mother is an alien, as are my grandparents and my aunt, who in fact are all unrelated, biologically speaking. Owen and I are the only normal ones in this strange little clan -"

"Normal ones? So does that make you special? No. Because normal is the opposite of special, I'll have you know. You're also half alien, you know. I should re-do your DNA test."

"What I was going to say before you rudely interrupted is that we are actually getting along - in our own unique, snarky manner. We might even become good friends."

"Next thing you know lambs and lions will lie together, and Star Wars fans and Trekkies will embrace out in the streets," the Captain jokes.

"Well, I wouldn't go that far," Ianto retorts before they kiss again.

Jack quickly breaks the kiss, "Since when does Owen count as part of our clan?"

"Oh, he will be. I have no doubt."

"There you are," Marianne says. "Those carrots are not going to peel themselves."

"Yes, ma'am," Jack replies sheepishly.

"And the mighty Captain is being coerced into performing domestic duties by an old woman," the Welshman quips. "Just when I thought my day couldn't get stranger."

Marianne looks at him with a stern face. "Ianto, make yourself useful and help this fine gentleman."

"Yes, Gran."

xxxx

During dinner, Ianto listens to his grandparents explain perception filters to Jack and how Light Keepers found NASA and SETI laughable. However, Marianne admits that she always found Carl Sagan to be "yummy." He finally understands why they've always been able to adapt quickly to new technology when their friends are still grumbling about the change to DVD's just when they've gotten used to VHS. Of course, he doesn't know what will happen when they begin to survive beyond their life expectancy. Will they have to change their identity once again? Will they have to move, perhaps even leave the UK altogether? He notices his mother's newfound appreciation of spices, as well as the slightly distant expression on her face as she continues to process the loss of her childhood memories, her husband's death, her rehabilitation and reintegration into society. He makes a mental note to himself to contact a lawyer about updating his last will and testament and considers how unreal it seems to have to think about such a thing when he hasn't even turned thirty. Then again, he suddenly has a new reason to fight for this Earth.

All of a sudden, he can feel Jack's hand squeeze his thigh, which is enough to bring him into the present. It's enough to simultaneously make his heart flutter and put him at ease.

He doesn't understand how Jack can do that, but is grateful that he does.

"So, Rory? What is going on with your fingernails?" Ianto teases.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

On Thursday morning, Rory sits at her desk and adjusts a few screws on a robotic arm when she hears a knock on the door.

"Come on in, Lillian," she calls.

Mrs. Jones enters timidly and asks, "How'd you know it was me?"

"There's no one else in the house according to the security grid," Rory replies with a bright smile. "Have a seat."

"You don't mind?"

"No. I'd like the company, and maybe I could use the extra set of hands."

As Lillian watches Rory use her own electrical impulses to wiggle each finger of the hand, she asks, "Did you always want to be an engineer?"

"Well, I thought about becoming a medical doctor, but that was for about two seconds. Other than that lapse, I knew that this is what I was meant to do."

"It must be nice to be so certain of something."

Rory puts down the arm and asks, "Lily, what's wrong?"

The older woman's hand trembles slightly as she confesses to her new benefactor what she cannot say to her son. "I'm scared. I hate not knowing what's going to happen next. I don't know how to function without some sense of structure."

"Neither do I," Rory tells her.

"And the future looks so huge and messy. I don't know where I fit in," Lillian confesses.

"You're still in transition. Once your brain is ready, once you feel in control of who you are, we can figure it all out."

"I don't want to be a burden to you."

"You're not. I enjoy having you here."

"But you are eventually going to have to go back to your lab. You can't work from here all the time."

"You could come with me," Rory offers.

"I'm beginning to feel like a child who needs to be baby-sat," Mrs. Jones mutters.

"Actually, I was thinking along the lines of a real job. You know, I could always use some help with some administrative tasks."

"That's just nepotism."

"Hey, the company got its name from my great-grandfather," Rory says. "And you'll feel better once you have something to occupy your thoughts."

"It's not just that. I also feel as though I'm intruding. I understand that Owen works odd hours. It must be difficult to spend time with him - just the two of you. I know what it's like to be part of a young couple. Lately, those memories have been coming back to me. I remember how wonderful it can be when it feels as though you are the only two people on Earth. Before Ianto was born, I remember Dylan used to chase me around the house, and when he'd catch me, he'd hold me close as if I was the most precious thing to him."

"Owen always kisses the back of my neck. It always sends shivers down my spine."

"Then you can imagine the rest," Lillian says as both women share a laugh. "The two of you should have your life together without worrying about me. I suppose I could move back to Newport with my parents… well, the Goodalls. I don't even know what to call them."

"They raised you. They are your parents. But moving in with them… is that what you want?"

"I don't know if I'm ready to live on my own," Lillian admits.

"I suppose that I can understand that. I suppose everything is still so new to you."

"Do you ever get scared? You know… about people finding out who you are and of what might happen?"

"I do," Rory admits. "That fear can keep you sharp and always on your toes. It sometimes feels like a rip in my favorite pair of jeans. I can learn to live with that imperfection because those jeans make me feel so good."

"That's one way of looking at it."

"Of course, Jack always says that most people are too busy caught up in real life to notice misfits like us, and if all else fails, we still have Torchwood and ret-con."

"I'm glad we found each other," Lillian says.

"Me too," the engineer replies.

xxxx

Despite all of Rory's protests that she needn't move, Lillian decides to rent a tiny one-bedroom flat in Newport. Using his resourcefulness and his powers of persuasion, Ianto even manages to pull some strings to get her a job at the local library as a clerk.

After helping Lillian move her furniture into her new home, Ianto and Jack stop at the park before getting back to the hub. It's already dark, but neither man is terribly concerned by that. They seem to prefer the solitude and the cover that the night gives them.

"I've always liked this park," Jack comments.

"It's where we first met," Ianto replies.

"Exactly."

After the younger man takes a blanket and a flashlight out from the boot of his car, the two men find a nice spot and lie on the ground, looking up at the stars.

"Do you ever get to the point where you just feel jaded?" Ianto asks. "I mean, there are times when we get a new case, and I don't always see the bigger picture. My mind just makes lists of all the things I need to do, the equipment that I need to prepare, the information that I need to pull up."

"You are my efficiency expert. You're just doing your job."

"But even when we're done, I'm ready to file the missions away, and I move forward to the next challenge quickly. All of those people we help, the people we can't save, the people we ret-con - they quickly become statistics in my head."

Jack turns on his side and places a hand on his lover's chest. "That's your way of coping," he says reassuringly. "Some of the things that I have you do requires some detachment. Christ, if you sat around thinking of all those people, you'd go nuts from all of the unnecessary guilt, and everyone would be aware of Torchwood's activities within a week."

"You make me sound cold and callous." Ianto's voice has a trace of accusation.

"No. What I'm saying is that you have your principles. You understand the sacrifices necessary for the survival of this planet."

"Most of the times I'm just following your orders."

"You wanna know something?… Sometimes, I wonder if I see alien influence everywhere. I look at everyone and everything with suspicion. How twisted is that?"

"Very," Ianto teases.

"I'm serious. Every shadow becomes a potential threat. The person who handles my dry-cleaning might be a ticking time bomb. The next big thing in the tech world might be from out of this world. I live in fear that there's something that I might miss."

"You're always so strong for us."

"Well, now you know that deep down inside, I am just a paranoid man."

"It can't be easy walking about knowing so much, having seen so much. On top of that, Torchwood warps the mind. Of course, one can make the argument that we were already pretty warped to begin with."

With a cynical laugh, Jack says, "I guess we were."

"I wonder what my father would have said about my mother's true identity, as someone who isn't accustomed to all of the wonders of the universe. Perhaps he would have taken it all in stride as long as my mother was fine. There's no way to really know. He always bottled things up which did him in, in the end."

"Like father, like son. That's why I need you to take care of yourself. I need you to relax every now and then, and stop worrying about everyone else's needs," Jack says.

"It's hard to do that," Ianto admits.

"Is there anything that I can do to help?" Jack murmurs just before kissing him. He presses his boyfriend to the ground and caresses his body. The scent of Ianto's sweat after an afternoon of heavy lifting is impregnated on the man's shirt, which Jack greedily inhales. He's always found that aroma so arousing.

Ianto sighs deeply and submits himself to pleasure. It didn't matter if they were in a public place or that anyone could walk up to them at any time. _Actually, if anyone was in the park at this time of night, they were probably up to the same thing_, Ianto thinks to himself as the Captain makes his way down his body. _Jack could probably demonstrate a thing or two_. However, his thought are interrupted by the sounds of heavy breathing. He opens his eyes.

"Jack!"

The older man starts to unbuckle his lover's belt.

"Jack!"

"You are so beautiful."

"Jack!" Ianto yells as he kicks the Captain aside.

"What the -" Jack finally sees the Weevil who has been watching them with great interest.

Jack quickly lunges for the Weevil and tries to wrestle it to the ground while Ianto runs to the car to grab his Weevil kit. As Jack kicks and thrashes about to avoid being bitten. Ianto quickly grabs the blanket and covers the Weevils head with it before plunging a needle into the neck of the interloper.

"He should be out for the next hour," Ianto says.

"Plenty of time," Jack replies, leering at the young man.

"You take his legs and I'll grab his arm."

"What about your blow job?"

Ianto sighs as they wrap up the Weevil in the blanket and pick it up. "There are sacrifices to be made at times like these."

"I hate it when you twist my words around," Jack says.

"You can do whatever you want to me when we get back to the hub."

"Really?" Jack asks. "But can we stop at the shop so I can pick up a candy necklace?"

"With a Weevil in my car?"

"It'll take five minutes."

"Why do I put up with you?" Ianto moans.

"Because the candy necklace won't be around your neck when I eat it," Jack replies with a raised eyebrow.

"Yep, that would be the reason," Ianto says with a stoic nod.

xxxx

Weeks later, Rory straddles her boyfriend's lap as he sits on his sofa. Ever since Lillian moved out, she spends more time with Owen at his place because her house feels empty.

"So what's the plan? Are you killing her with kindness?" she asks.

"Who?"

"Your mum. You know, you're nice to her until she breaks down, and she has no choice but to be nice to you. Is that why your sending her to Spain?"

"Because the next time she whines about how I held her back in life, I can throw her little excursion to Barcelona in her face," Owen replies.

"You are something else," Rory says.

"What about your family? When do I get to meet them?"

"You already know Jack and Ianto."

"I mean the rest of the Templeton family. Have you told them about us?"

"We see each other at board meetings. We exchange pleasantries. They give me their reports. I give them mine, but we don't socialize."

"So I guess we shouldn't expect them at the wedding," Owen blurts out.

"What wedding?" Rory asks, but a split second later she puts two and two together. "You and me?"

"Don't look so shocked. I can commit."

"I'm not doubting your commitment. It's just a wedding… wow. We…I just thought that we'd live together first, and then eventually… maybe…Really? You want to get married?"

Owen just sits there, feeling completely foolish. "That was a shitty proposal. I should have done it properly over a nice meal. I don't even have a ring. It just came out, and -"

"Owen, do you swim?"

"What? Yeah."

"Let's go."

"Where?" Owen asks, completely confused.

Rory drags her man to his feet and says, "I'll tell you when we get there."

xxxx

Owen and Rory park outside the gates surrounding a large mansion. The alien leads him to the security panel, and whispers to her boyfriend, "Okay, you are my look-out while I take care of the alarm. If the dogs find you, just say 'Frodo' in a calm, yet authoritative voice."

The expression of shock on Owen's face only makes Rory giggle, but he nervously surveys the place, looking for any security guards on the property and trying not to think about large dogs attacking his privates. While the doctor isn't looking, Rory quickly enters the security code into the touch pad and opens the gate. She grabs the doctor's hand and runs with him to a large building behind the main house. She begins to pick the lock, but Owen takes over since she is taking longer than he'd like. Rory turns on the lights so that they are dim, but they can still see what they are doing. The building contains a heated pool with several changing rooms on the side.

"I didn't think you were serious about swimming," Owen says.

"Well, of course I was," she replies. "Now take off your kit."

"I didn't bring a suit."

"Neither did I," she says before disappearing into a changing room.

Owen laughs when a naked leg emerges from behind the door and does a little kick. He quickly takes off his clothes and tosses them aside. Rory comes out of the room wearing a towel and tosses an extra one at Owen. Slowly, she peels it off, Owen can't resist lunging at her and pulling her into the pool. She squeals in delight as the two hit the water and playfully pushes him underneath.

The two of them mess about in the water until Owen takes his girlfriend into the shallow end and kisses her neck. However, just before things really heat up, the lights flash twice. Rory stops him and presses her finger to his lips to get him to stop. The lights flash again.

"Everybody out of the pool," she announces.

"Shit!" Owen exclaims as he races for his clothes.

He tries to remember his Torchwood identification number and struggles to create a plausible story for his presence inside the pool house. He knocks on the door of the changing room, and Rory steps out wearing a robe and with her hair wrapped up in a towel.

"Let me handle this," she says, placing her hand on his chest.

"Hey, I'm Torchwood. That has to count for something."

The doors open and a tall, heavy-set man in his seventies enters the room, followed by a beefy, younger man wearing a dark, black suit. The elderly man is not amused.

"Just what exactly are you doing here?" he barks.

"Let me explain…" Owen says.

"Hello, Uncle Reggie," Rory says in a cool, collected voice.

"Certainly, you can afford a pool of your own with all of the money Imogene left you," Uncle Reggie bellows.

"Yes I can, but I like this one," she answers cheerfully. "And really, I never come by to visit…"

"You should have better manners that this - to show up here unannounced like a couple of children. You used to know your place in this family."

"And what place is that? Employee? Lackey? Owner of this house and a third of the family company?"

Owen's jaw drops as he turns around to face Rory, "What the…"

"It's more fun if we sneak in," she replies. "I thought you were into all that cloak and dagger stuff."

"You used to behave like a Templeton. If Bertram could see you now…"

"He'd probably find the whole situation amusing."

"Bertram was a dignified man."

"Yes, he was, but he didn't have a stick up his arse," Rory snaps back. "Unfortunately, you didn't get to know him the way I did."

Reginald Templeton exhales, trying to hold onto his temper, "I hope that you'll keep an eye on your friend."

"Absolutely," Rory replies.

After Uncle Reggie leaves, Owen looks at Rory and says, "You are one bad mother-"

"Shut your mouth," she says with just the right amount of sass.

"Do you really own this house, and if you do, how fast can we kick him out?"

"Reggie made some bad investments that Bertie had to cover. Luckily his children are better at running the company, but when Bertram died, he left Imogene the house. When she died, she left it to me. He always pays his rent on time, and I have better things to deal with, and that house is so not me," Rory explains. She takes a deep breath. "Well, that's my family. Do you really want to be a part of that?"

"I think I can handle them," Owen replies.

"Then, I say Dr. Aurora Harper has a nice ring to it."

He cups her face and kisses her before saying, "I love you."

"Ha! I knew it!"

Owen groans and pulls her in for another kiss.

"I love you, too," Rory tells him. Suddenly she yells, "Did you hear that, Martin? We're getting married."

"Yes, Miss Templeton. Congratulations," a voice drones over the speakers.

"Who the hell is that?" Owen cries.

"He's the watchman. He's the one who warned us about Reggie," Rory explains.

"You mean he was watching when we were…?"

"Martin isn't interested in my dirty pillows. Now your naughty bits are an entirely different matter."

"He is gorgeous," Martin announces.

"Isn't he?" Rory replies. "Ooh, I've got to ring Jack and tell him the good news. Why don't you take a few laps in the pool?"

Looking up at the security cameras, Owen snickers and says, "Why don't I take you dancing instead?"

xxxx

When Ianto arrives back at the hub that evening, Jack greets him with an enthusiastic hug and a kiss.

"What a lovely way to be greeted," the Welshman murmurs.

"I was just on the phone with Rory. She and Owen are engaged," the Captain says. "He loves her. He really loves her."

"Now, he's in for the ride of his life," Ianto comments. "At least he won't get bored."

"I thought that you'd be happy for them."

"Oh, I am. It's always entertaining to watch Owen with someone who can cut him down to size," Ianto says.

"Saves you a bit of work," Jack points out.

"Exactly."

"How is your mum?"

"She's doing well. Every now and then, she still has the occasional memory lapse, but those are becoming less frequent. She said she missed you at dinner," Ianto tells him.

"I'll come next weekend. Besides, I wanted the two of you to have some time alone together, and I had a blowfish to detox and send back home."

"Sounds like a quiet evening. I suppose I have some cleaning and disinfecting to do."

"I took care of it already," Jack boasts.

Ianto gasps.

"Right now, I just want to sit back and relax with my boyfriend. Maybe watch a movie…" Jack holds up a copy of _Jason and the Argonauts_. "I know you've been thinking about your father a lot lately. I hope that this brings back happy memories."

"Thank you," the younger man whispers.

"To be honest, I've never watched this before."

"You haven't?" Ianto asks in make-believe shock.

"I know. I am so deprived."

Ianto corrects Jack with a wink, "Depraved is more like it."

The Captain pinches his lover's ass and chases him into the bedroom. The two men snuggle on the bed and watch the movie; however, while Ianto is caught up in nostalgia, Jack has a very different reaction. Watching man after muscular man in skimpy costumes gives Jack all sorts of ideas.

By the time Jason and his crew board the Argos, he whispers to Ianto, "This is very homoerotic."

"You found _Ocean's Eleven _homoerotic," the younger man counters.

When Hercules leaves the crew to search for Hylas on the deserted island with the giant bronze statues, Jack comments, "Now, would he do that if he wasn't in love with him?"

"All right, maybe those two…"

"What if this movie made you gay?" Jack teases.

"Now I know who to blame," Ianto shoots back.

"But you love me," the older man replies.

Jack doesn't say another word and allows his boyfriend to watch the rest of the movie in peace. Getting lost in the classic adventure once again and feeling happy to share it with someone he loves, Ianto leans on Jack's shoulder. Seeing the joy he brought to his boyfriend, the Captain begins to enjoy the movie, especially the fights with the hydra and the skeletons.

However, at the end of the movie when Zeus says to Hera that he'll let Jason be happy for now and that he has other plans for him, the two men look at each other. Jack can feel his heart beating faster. Without a sound, Ianto kisses his boyfriend and turns off the television. He gets off the bed, places the DVD back in its case and says to Jack, "So Owen and Rory. That was pretty fast."

"Owen is grabbing a hold of his life with both hands," Jack replies.

"They do try to live in the moment, don't they?"

"Yes, they do."

"Jack?"

"Yes?"

"Make me feel alive." Ianto's simple request almost breaks Jack's heart.

But heartache is for another night. "As you wish."

xxxx

The men find themselves playing laser tag against four arrogant, pimply-faced teenagers. After Ianto takes down the last man of the opposing team, Jack collects five quid from each of them. Ianto is somewhat embarrassed since logic tells him that they are highly-trained grown men, but he's also snickering quietly. For one blessed night, he's not thinking about how short life is or about the next attack on Earth; instead he's wondering if the next thing that Jack might suggest is riding shopping carts down a hill or planting an army of garden gnomes on Detective Swanson's lawn. This wasn't what he had in mind when he asked Jack to make him feel alive, but never in his life has he been this immature. He's enjoying every minute of it.

"_Of course, we can beat you. You're just an old man,_" Jack says in a whiny, high-pitched voice as he taunts the adolescents. "What else did they call me?"

"An old fart," the Welshman answers.

"Well, this old fart kicked all of your asses. Who's next?" Jack announces.

"Come on, Dirty Harry," Ianto says. "Let's go."

"But I'm having fun," the Captain whines.

"Me, you, an abandoned office, a copier…"

Jack gasps. He turns to the group of teenagers, and with a quick salute, he says, "Well, I guess that's all for now, kids."

THE END

* * *

A/N: Okay, that started out as somewhat angsty, but disentegrated into fluff. I can't help it. I kind of like the idea that Owen is with someone who will jerk him around a little because he was always so arrogant on the show, and I believe that Jack and Ianto use their humor as a weapon to cope with their work.


End file.
